Edmonton general Long Term Care, Alberta’s second deadliest outbreak with
33 deaths, 174 cases

ARE STAFF, WHO TEST POSITIVE CARING FOR PATIENTS?

An outbreak at Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre has become the second-
deadliest in the province since the pandemic began, says Alberta Health.
Thirty-three patients have died and there have been 174 positive cases,
Lynn Klein, corporate director at Covenant Health, told families of patients
in a Friday Zoom call. Of these cases, 92 residents and 82 staff have tested
positive to date.

Edmonton’s Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre was the province’s deadliest
with 34 deaths and 114 cases, Alberta Health spokeswoman Zoe Cooper said Friday.
Alberta’s largest outbreak was at the Cargill plant near High River with 938
cases and two deaths.

Klein told families Friday they were having a “hopeful” week since there
weren’t any new cases discovered since Monday. Thirty-three residents and
28 staff have recovered.
“We’re trying to be not overconfident, but we’re excited about that” … she said.

NOT ALL PATIENT DEATHS DUE TO COVID:

Klein also told families that not all the deaths of patients who tested positive
were because of COVID-19.

Senior operating officer Scott Baerg said in the Zoom call Covenant Health was
worried about staffing levels last week, but those issues have
now been fixed, he said.

“We were hearing people saying (now) … we have too much. There’s too much staff.
So things have changed dramatically in the last week or so. So it’s nice to have that.”

Baerg also said he didn’t know how the first COVID-19 case was contracted.

BASIC PAIENT CARE SUFFERING

Some others present in the call — which was open for family members of patients —
worried basic patient care was suffering because of the outbreak.

ELDERLY PATIRENT HAD NOT BEEN FED ENOUGH;

One person said that although she feels her family member is safe on site,
no one had been in to brush her teeth for three days. Another said their parent had not
been able to sleep because he hadn’t been fed enough.

Covenant Health workers on the call told families to reach out to them in a private
message or call the unit to raise those concerns. The health authority has regularly
hosted Zoom calls for families to raise concerns, and sends out newsletters to keep
them up to date on the outbreak.

In an email statement, Covenant Health said it works with dieticians to ensure
residents are taken care of.

Edmonton’s Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre was the province’s deadliest
with 34 deaths and 114 cases, Alberta Health spokeswoman Zoe Cooper said Friday.
Alberta’s largest outbreak was at the Cargill plant near High River with 938
cases and two deaths.

GENERAL CARE CENTRE PASSED A PROVINCIAL AUDIT:

She also said the centre recently PASSED A PROVINCIAL AUDIT that occurred during
the outbreak and the facility follows provincial health regulations.
An earlier statement from Cooper this week said they “continue to work tirelessly
and collaboratively, following all public health orders and directives.”

There are 495 residents in the centre which hosts long-term care, subacute care,
and hospice care.

Adapted Post media – November 21, 2020

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November 21, 2020