ARICHAT – COVID-19 and its accompanying social-distancing protocols have made an impact on long-term care (LTC) facilities across Nova Scotia, and the centre serving Isle Madame’s elderly population is no exception.

The administrator of St. Anne’s Community and Nursing Care Centre in Arichat, Annette Fougere, confirmed that the presence of coronavirus in Nova Scotia has led her staff to increase its diligence in terms of protecting both the centre’s residents and the general public. The need for strong safety procedures was driven home throughout the spring by the death of 53 residents at Halifax’s Northwood Centre, accounting for 82 per cent of the total COVID-19 deaths in Nova Scotia.

However, the arrival of June saw the loosening of restrictions with regards to visits to nursing home residents, enabling family members to meet with their loved ones outside of the main home. Such meetings are restricted to groups of five, including the resident receiving a visit, an LTC facility staff member, and no more than three family members or other approved visitors.

In the case of St. Anne’s, Fougere noted that the Arichat facility has two outdoor patio decks that will allow such visits to take place in a safe and comfortable manner.

“Everybody can stick to the outside without having to come in to the building,” Fougere told TELILE 24/7 host Adam Cooke.

“They are not to bring in any treats or presents for the residents…They cannot come up and hug them at this point, and I know that’s difficult for families. But they get to dialogue and see them, and that’s important, because I know some of them haven’t seen their families for three months.”

In the meantime, Fougere confirmed that her staff has assisted the centre’s residents in using such videoconferencing technology as FaceTime and Skype to allow regular connections with their families.

“We do a lot of window-visiting, as well,” Fougere reported.

However, she pointed out that many of the residents may still experience difficulties in their first face-to-face meetings with relatives in several weeks, given that “life has gone on at the centre” while separate issues have been taking place outside the Arichat facility’s walls. With this in mind, Fougere is advising visitors to the centre to use care and caution when catching up with their loved ones who have been undergoing a far different experience inside St. Anne’s Centre.