Below is a message from Arden Krystal, President and CEO …
York Region Public Health has declared the COVID-19 outbreak over at River Glen Haven nursing home in Sutton.
When Southlake took over the temporary management of this home, on May 29, River Glen Haven had already been in outbreak for a month and there were 20 residents with active cases of COVID-19. As of last weekend, there were no residents, nor staff, with active cases of COVID-19. Following some additional testing this week, York Region Public Health declared the outbreak over.
This is both a great achievement and the end of a sad and challenging time for this nursing home.
I want to extend my deepest sympathies to those families and friends who lost loved ones during the outbreak. I know today’s news will bring little solace to you, but I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that memories of your loved one’s inspired the team at River Glen Haven to make the changes necessary to prevent future outbreaks and keep residents safe.
Thank you to the staff and physicians at the home. While Southlake is providing some additional expertise and leadership, it is your dedication that ultimately ended this outbreak and your continued commitment to improving the care you provide will prevent future outbreaks. You have demonstrated what we can do when we pull together and harness the power of many.
With the outbreak over, Southlake’s team will now increase our focus on stabilizing the operations of the home and prepare to transition River Glen Haven back to its owners on August 24.
Over the next six weeks, we will continue to support the overall wellbeing of residents and help those who have been ill to recuperate. We will modify the nutrition and dietary service, as well as increase recreation and exercise programs.
We will also hire additional permanent staff to reduce River Glen’s reliance on staffing agencies and continue to align management portfolios and schedules to support staff and best practices for infection prevention and control.
This achievement is the result of collaboration across many health care partners and it shows what we can achieve when we work together. In addition to River Glen Haven and Southlake, the following organizations played integral roles in ending this outbreak and preparing this home to operate in a pandemic.
Thanks to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, York Region Public Health, York Region Paramedic Services, SE Health, the PPE extender group from Ontario Health’s Central Region, and York Region District School Board.
For more information about Southlake’s role at River Glen Haven click here.
