(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall

outbreak continues

Red Deer seniors facility mourns loss of two residents to COVID-19

Dec 21, 2020 | 5:09 PM

A seniors living facility in north Red Deer is mourning the loss of two of its residents from COVID-19.

The deaths related to the outbreak at Points West Living are Red Deer’s first from COVID-19. A woman in her nineties passed away Dec. 16 and a woman in her eighties died Dec. 18.

“The passing of these two lovely women caused great sadness for their families, but was also a blow for the employee care partners in the PWL Red Deer community, who see these individuals as members of their extended family,” says Mark Dixon, marketing and communications manager for Points West Living. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families and look forward to celebrating the lives of these women in a special way when the restrictions are lifted.”

There are currently 28 active cases of COVID-19 at Points West Living, located along Taylor Drive north of 67 Street.

Of the current active cases at the facility, 16 are residents while 12 are employees who are isolating at home. Six additional staff members who contracted the virus have since recovered.

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A COVID-19 outbreak was declared at Points West Living on Dec. 2 after a staff member tested positive. With respect to these kinds of facilities, Alberta Health defines an outbreak as one positive specimen result.

“Once we received the initial positive test result, it was shared immediately with leadership,” Dixon says, “and all measures were put into place to contain any potential spread.”

Points West Living in Red Deer has 139 residents and employs 120 care partners.

Dixon says they continue to follow enhanced protocols as outlined by Alberta Health, including additional cleaning, wearing of masks, gowns, face shields and goggles, physical distancing, extra sanitizing, regular screening of everyone in the building, and restricted visiting.

“Our communities are divided into cottages (similar to nursing units) with suites in separate areas so each individual suite can be isolated, and individual cottages can also be isolated,” Dixon explains. “Alberta Health has put the entire PWL Red Deer community on outbreak protocol, so we are wearing PPE whether the resident has tested positive or showing symptoms or not.”

He says a cross-functional team meets daily to support the Points West Living Red Deer community.

As of Dec. 21, Red Deer has 415 active cases of COVID-19.

There are ongoing outbreaks in Red Deer at Covenant Care Villa Marie, Catholic Social Services St. Neri, Extendicare Michener Hill, Revera Aspen Ridge, The Hamlets, Kentwood Place and Olymel.

Province-wide, there are 1,225 active and 4,165 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites as of Monday. To date, 560 of the 860 reported deaths (65 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.