August 19, 2022
Dear Family and Friends:
I hope you have been enjoying your summer so far. At Villa Colombo Toronto (VCT), we have been working hard to manage and take in hand the recent COVID-19 Outbreak which began on June 17, 2022.
Many of you have received notifications that your loved ones had tested positive COVID-19 and/or that the unit where they reside had been affected by a positive exposure. We know that can be alarming and concerning and want to assure you that we continue to work very closely with Toronto Public Health to determine high risk contacts so that immediate appropriate actions are taken to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. This includes our prompt communication with our residents and their families about positive cases and added precautions. Villa Colombo Toronto continues to work closely with Toronto Public Health and our partners at Extendicare and Humber River Hospital to ensure that all IPAC protocols are in place and upheld and that education, training and personal protective equipment is provided.
Since June 17, 2022, a total of 132 residents had tested positive for COVID-19. Sadly one resident who tested positive passed away. At the time of this letter, VCT has one remaining active resident case. The chart below provides details of the cases on each unit:
Please note a revision to an IPAC protocol: Although masks are required at all times when indoors at Villa Colombo Toronto, it is not necessary to wear masks while entering the building. Given that VCT does have sufficient space to allow for physical distancing while waiting to access the masks, visitors must put on a clean mask (provided by VCT) immediately upon entry
As part of the ongoing fight against COVID, we highly recommend that everyone consider becoming up-to-date with their vaccinations to offer the best protection for residents, team members and visitors. VCT is again hosting the GO-Vaxx Bus on Monday, August 29th, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in our rear parking lot. Appointments for this clinic can be made four days in advance of the clinic starting at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 25th on the Ontario vaccine booking website https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or, by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact center at 1-833-943-3900. This clinic is open to the public so book early. If this date and location is not convenient for you, please book at another clinic or pharmacy close to your home. Eligibility Criteria Website: Getting the COVID-19 vaccine | COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario.
This is a reminder of the changes that took place for asymptomatic surveillance testing on Monday, July 25th, 2022 as a result of the recent announcement by the Ontario government regarding changes to the eligibility (Getting the COVID-19 vaccine | COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario) for receiving a 4th Dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. All Ontarians age 18 and above are now eligible for the 4th Dose. Therefore all staff, caregivers, student placements and volunteers working in, or visiting VCT must be tested for COVID-19 as follows:
Accreditation Canada’s Qmentum program helps health care providers meet global standards, putting mechanisms in place that lead to safe and effective care. VCT has been participating in the Accreditation Canada process for over 40 years and in February 2020, achieved Exemplary Standing (4 years of Accreditation). To maintain its standing, Villa Colombo Toronto is scheduled to undergo the next Accreditation review again in early 2024. The process requires that VCT establish several multidisciplinary teams to review the standards in key care and service areas. Each team will review the standards and identify evidence of compliance and strength and areas of improvement. Although it seems early to get started, it is VCT’s goal to have the review completed by early 2023. This will allow our teams to initiate work on identified gaps in time for the peer survey. Resident and family engagement is an integral part of the preparation process for a successful review, if you are interested in being part of the process/team, please contact us at info@villacolombo.on.ca with the subject line “Accreditation Interest” and provide your contact details.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sincerely,
Toni Dell’Aquila
Executive Director
Golden Care Dental Services Treatment Request Form
On-site Specialists Audiology Consent Authorization Form
On-site Specialists Eyecare Services Resident Consent Form
Garden Visits and Testing Changes
Determining Type of Visitor Algorithm
Essential Caregiver Registration Form
Essential Family Caregivers Guideline and FAQ
Visiting and Absences Algorithm
ECI – Resource Guide for Residents, Families, and Visitors
