December 27, 2024- Spruce & Oak Outbreak Update

In collaboration with Public Health, the Oak and Spruce home areas remain in a Gastroenteritis outbreak, with symptoms including vomiting and/or diarrhea. Family members of those residents affected have been notified. Please ensure that you are diligent with hand hygiene upon entering the home, entering home areas, exiting home areas, and exiting the home.

The following infection control measures are to be implemented in the affected home areas:

• Surgical Masks are encouraged at all times in the Spruce & Oak Home Area
• Ensure the Public Health 4 moments of Hand Hygiene are followed
• Resident's Hand Hygiene before all meals and regularly throughout the day
• Ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used properly- including donning before entering and removing before exiting the isolated resident’s room
• Residents are to remain in the affected home area at this time to reduce the risk of spread
• *If residents insist on leaving the home area, please assist them with masking or a visor and encourage outdoor visiting.
• Twice daily respiratory symptom screening in Spruce and Oak Home Areas
• Immediate isolation of any residents with new symptom onset
• Dedicated equipment for those residents that share bathrooms.
• Cohorting of staff, when possible.
• Cohorting of residents and only small group activities in the home area for unaffected residents. Isolated residents to receive one-to-one activities.
• Twice daily high-touch surface cleaning- changing disinfecting product to 1-minute contact time
• Increased hand hygiene and PPE audits in the home area with coaching
• No General Visitors currently on Spruce or Oak. Only two (2) essential caregivers at a time.

Please ensure that you are following the IPAC practices listed above as they are in place to protect residents, staff, essential caregivers, and visitors.

We will continue to provide updates as we move through the outbreak.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the nurse in charge.