2022 February 03 / Q-ella

What did We learn from Omicron?

Going into the third year of the pandemic, after numerous lockdowns and two new variants, we are all ready to move on. While we may find ourselves cracking up at the new motto of “stay positive, stay patient”, it is important to review what we have learned from dealing with the Omicron variant. Here are some things we learned that we wanted to share with the community:

Patience:

It is not easy to deal with Omicron, we at Chateau Glengarry are prepared for the long haul. We offered a 4th vaccine booster whenever possible. We continue our proven Infection Prevention and Control measures, including wearing PPEs, self and peer-monitoring early symptoms and using Antigen Rapid test kits to safeguard. We communicate frequently and effectively with families and staff, with an emphasis on risk management. After all, the resident’s health and safety are our top priority.

Resilience:

The virus may keep evolving, but human beings are also extremely resilient and adaptive. A high vaccination rate alone will not stop the spread of Omicron and social distancing and other physical prevention methods are still important to reduce the confirmed cases. At Chateau Glengarry, we keep the lines of communication open to help families connect with their loved ones in retirement homes using virtual visits during this special period. The team is motivated to respond to the needs of our seniors and sometimes that includes introducing them to new means of communicating with their families. Our staff is happy to set up and facilitate visits over Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime - any technology to empower residents and families to stay connected.

Movement:

Movement is the song of the body, as Vanda Scaravelli wrote in her book that inspired thousands of yoga practitioners across the world, Awakening the Spine. Chateau Glengarry encourages our residents to be active and keep moving, whether indoors doing a light workout in our gym or outdoors on a sun-kissed stroll. As long as we keep moving, we grow stronger, and gain more hope to emerge on the other side with healthy bodies and minds.

Celebration:

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it would be that life is full of moments worth celebrating. At Chateau Glengarry, while we do everything to keep our people safe, it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun together! As much as we can within the limits of public health measures, we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and anything else that gives us an opportunity to bring some light into our residents’ lives! Here is a photo of our dear Mrs. Muller at her 103rd birthday party.

Even though this is a difficult time for everyone, we have been creative in ensuring strong mental health for our seniors while keeping them safe, secure, and connected with each other and their loved ones. We’re all in this together! Learn more about what Chateau Glengarry Retirement Living Center has done to protect against Omicron, call us or email us!

Chateau Glengarry offers relaxed, safe, and comfortable retirement living and respite care in a beautiful setting in Eastern Ontario. For more information or to book a tour, call Diane at 613-524-4440 or email: manager@chateauglengarry.com; info@chateauglengarry.ca or fill our contact form.