February 02, 2022
Dear Families and Supporters,
Thank you for your patience as we have navigated through the most recent challenges of the global pandemic. Although the Omicron variant proved to produce less severe symptoms for most, it certainly was much more contagious and was a very difficult wave to navigate. And of course, it came at the worst possible time, during the holidays. Although the wave is not over yet, numbers in the community are dropping and at this point we have just one location in outbreak. We continue to work with Public Health around our approach to managing outbreaks and our infection protection and control practices.
We will be resuming family visits on Friday February 04th with all the regular protocols. (Screening, temperature checks, masks, distancing, rapid antigen tests) Most of our supported people have received their third dose of the vaccine which provides greater protection. Many of our staff have also had three shots. If a location is in “outbreak” no on site face to face visits can take place.
As a sector we are advocating that people with intellectual disabilities be prioritized for the fourth shot which at this point can be given to higher risk people 84 days after the third shot.
With the community reopening, at CLAPW we plan to take the slow, cautious approach we have used throughout the pandemic. We will keep our eye on the numbers of community transmission and make decisions around types of outings based on that. Our day program will remain closed for a little while longer. Our day program staff continue to offer programs virtually and provided good assistance to our residential locations during the staffing challenges experienced due to the Omicron variant. Our staff members have done a wonderful job of managing through such stressful and difficult times. And the people we support continue to do well and have been accepting of the restrictions imposed because of the pandemic.
We know that this has not been easy for you. We thank you for your trust in our agency and support as we navigate these challenging times. Our focus has always been the safety of the peoples we support and the safety of our staff members.
Looking forward to better days ahead for all of us.
Sincerely,
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
January 12, 2022
Dear Families and Supporters,
I wanted to give you a quick update on the status of our staffing and management of the Covid pandemic, specifically in the most recent wave.
Suffice it to say we are currently in the most challenging wave of this pandemic yet, even though we have extensive vaccine coverage, access to good quality PPE and experience with coping with outbreaks. Throughout the Christmas break we have been dealing with outbreaks and staffing shortages. This came at a time when direction and support from the health department was minimal as they too were dealing with a crisis and diminished staffing.
Our staff members have once again risen to the challenge in such an amazing way. Showing great flexibility, calmness, and resolve. So many supported people have received their third shot in the past few weeks thanks to the tenacity of the staff who spent hours online trying to find available clinics.
The people we support, once again are taking the restrictions caused by outbreaks in their stride. Many have been unable to see family members and loved ones due to outbreaks. This was especially difficult during the holiday season.
Our leadership team and scheduling staff have been working around the clock. We could not get through this without them.
Currently, we are not permitting face to face visits at any of our locations. Please make use of virtual meetings and phone calls wherever possible. Community outings are also on hold, apart from essential outings, until this current crisis resolves. Our day programs have gone back to virtual only. We will of course, roll these restrictions back as soon as we can based on guidance from Public Health and MCCSS. We know that this is difficult for you and wish the situation could be different, but we most do all that we can to keep people safe.
We are organizing a Vaccination Clinic at our Dowty Road location on February 03. This clinic is open to any staff member or person supported by CLAPW. This would include people in our Host Family Program (including providers) and any people involved in our Residential Services, Supported Independent Living, Intensive Supports, Supported Employment and Community Participation Program.
Families of people in day supports and the Host Family Program Providers if you want to take advantage of the clinic for your family member, please let me know as soon as possible. We must provide numbers to the health department as soon as possible. I can be reached at lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org or at 905-427-3300 ext. 237.
Thank you for your understanding and know that we are doing all that we can to keep your loved one and our staff members as safe as possible.
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
November 24, 2021
Dear Family Members/Supporters,
I hope this letter finds you doing well.
Many of you have enjoyed visits and outings with your loved ones who are in the care of CLAPW over the past months. It certainly is wonderful to see some normalcy return to our lives. We know that COVID 19 continues to present a risk to each of us, including the people we support. Vaccinations have helped to provide protection and currently the Health Department is offering booster shots to our staff. We continue to advocate that these booster shots also be made available to the people we support.
We are carefully monitoring the status of Covid 19 in our communities and continue to follow MCCSS and MOH guidance around best practices as it relates to infection prevention and control. This week every residential location will be receiving Hepa Air Filtration devices to assist in ensuring a safe environment and good air filtration as we move to spending more time indoors due to the colder weather.
Should you wish to schedule a visit with your loved one please reach out to the full time Direct Support Staff of the location where your family member/loved one lives, to arrange/schedule your visits. We are continuing to practice strict health and safety guidelines to protect families, the people we support and our employees. We are asking that family members provide proof of vaccination when visiting.
We are offering on site Rapid Antigen Testing as a part of the regular monitoring at all our locations. This test can be done on site where your family member lives and takes just 15 minutes. This provides an extra layer of protection and peace of mind, and the test is encouraged for any family member coming on site to visit. This test is mandatory for any unvaccinated family members that are visiting.
Your family member will continue to be screened for Covid symptoms, twice per day and have a Covid Rapid Test completed once per week. Anyone with symptoms is required to isolate and undergo a PCR Covid test.
Our online activities offered through our Dowty Road program continue and have been expanded to include both evening and weekend offerings. Although our day program has begun to open, the number of people permitted to attend has been greatly reduced and priority has been given to those people/families who have no additional daytime supports.
We have good staffing ratios in our residential locations and people have been able to access the community and preferred activities with their Residential Direct Support Staff without the need to attend the congregated day program. This approach provides greater choice and more individualized supports.
With the holiday season quickly approaching we are sure that many of you are thinking about visit options and as such I have attached our visitation policy for you to review. Work with the staff team at the location where your family member is supported to figure out a plan that works best.
As a reminder, should you have questions about your loved one or general questions about our response to Covid 19 please speak with the Direct Support Staff or the Manager of the location. We want to make sure that you have your questions answered and that you are fully informed about how CLAPW is responding to the pandemic.
Thanks again for your patience and support. And thank you to our dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic keeping people safe, happy, and engaged.
All the very best,
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
May 26, 2021
Dear Family Members/Supporters,
We are so very pleased to be able to resume outdoor family visits! It certainly has been a long time coming. Thank you for your patience as we have navigated this pandemic together.
Although there is still at “Stay at home order” which is set to expire on June 02, with the ability for people to book golf dates and visit with up to five people from outside of their home in an outdoor setting, we think it reasonable that we resume outdoor visits for the people we support. We know you have missed your family member/loved one, and they have missed you!
It should be noted that this decision has not yet been made by MCCSS, but we feel at CLAPW that outdoor visits are low risk, and reasonable (and desirable) at this point as long as the protocols detailed below are adhered to.
With this announcement of permitted on site visits, Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby is today asking that you reach out to the manager of the location where your family member/loved onw lives, to arrange/schedule your visits. We are continuing to practice strict Health and Safety Guidelines to protect families, the people we support and our employees.
As such, your family member will continue to be screened for Covid symptoms, twice per day.
Anyone with symptoms is required to isolate and undergo a PCR Covid test. We are offering on site Rapid Antigen Testing as a part of the regular monitoring at all our locations. If you would like to book a test prior to your visit (which we encourage) you can do so by calling 905-683-6732. This test takes just 15 minutes of your time and offers extra protection and reassurance.
Visit Guidelines
All visitors will be required to complete an on-site screening process that includes the taking and recording of their temperature at the location, prior to the visit and at the end of the visit.
Maximum of two people per visit.
Hand Sanitizer must be used prior to the visit.
Visitors are required to wear a surgical mask and should provide their own.
The person we support should wear a face covering/mask when visiting outdoors if tolerated.
Physical distancing of 2 m apart must be maintained throughout the visit.
Visits need to be pre-scheduled to ensure that we have adequate staffing in place to complete the necessary screening, cleaning and oversight involved in visits.
Please let the manager of your family member’s home know if you have questions about this process.
The only time that you will not be able to see your family member is when:
· The home is in an outbreak (you would be informed)
· People in the home are isolating and awaiting COVID PCR testing results.
· The home already has pre-scheduled family visits for others at the time you are seeking.
We are happy to see these positive changes. Please contact the manager of your family members program if you have any questions or concerns.
We are very hopeful to soon be able to offer short stay outings, and indoor visits as the vaccines continue to be rolled out offering a further measure of protection. We continue to be committed to do all we can to keep supported individuals and our staff as safe as possible.
Thanks again for your patience and support. And thank you to our dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic keeping people safe, happy, and engaged.
Welcome back!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
March 31, 2021
Hello CLAPW Families!
I hope this letter finds you doing well. It is hard to believe that we are into year two of the global pandemic. It has been a difficult time. And we are well into the third wave with the variants of COVID 19 on the rise. With the vaccines being rolled out I am hopeful that we will soon see some return to normalcy sooner than later. I have heard it said that it is now a race between the variants and the vaccines.
We have been told by the Durham Health Department that the people we support in congregate care are at the top of Phase 2 in the region and that we can expect to see vaccines starting by mid-April. We are ready. In large part, because you helped to ensure that the required documents were completed and returned quickly. We have offered to host vaccine clinics at our Administrative Office and/or our Day program site on Dowty Road to try to make it easier for the Region to reach our people served. Whatever we can do to speed up the process, we will.
With the variants on the rise, we unfortunately continue to be unable to have in home visits. Outdoor visits are okay if the following conditions are met:
· Pre-scheduled
· Visitor completes screening
· No more than 2 visitors at one time
· Outdoors
· Minimum of 6 ft distancing maintained
· Surgical mask worn throughout visit
· Staff monitor the visit
We appreciate that this has been so hard for you and for you loved ones. I know that the outdoor visits just are not the same. We are so hopeful that we soon can move to indoor visits without all the restrictions. We continue to follow the advice of the health department and the provincial government around the guidelines that are in place.
We know that Easter it typically a time for families to gather. We promise you that our staff members will do all that they can to create a wonderful Easter for your loved one. Please take advantage of the opportunity to phone, skype, facetime, zoom with your loved one and of course feel free to schedule outdoor visits as the weather permits.
We are all so tired of living this way but do what we can to keep each other safe. The end is in sight. We need to be vigilant for just a while longer.
Thank you for your support and your understanding. I wish you a peaceful long weekend and look forward to the day when we can gather once again.
Please, should you have any questions reach out to the manager involved with your loved one or feel fee to connect with me at lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org
All the very best,
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
December 20, 2020
Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby (CLAPW) has confirmed a positive case of Covid 19 in an employee within our Residential Program.
The staff person last worked on site since December 17, 20 and is isolating at home and feeling well. We wish this staff member and speedy and full recovery.
CLAPW is following all directions provided by the Durham Region Health Unit. The agency has been implementing protective measures and preparing action plans for a variety of exposure scenarios given the vulnerable population we serve.
CLAPW will continue to closely monitor the staff members progress and will follow the guidance of health unit and medical staff as we work to keep our employees and the individuals we support safe. All staff who may have had contact have been notified as have the family members of the people that are supported in the effected setting.
We thank the dedicated staff members of CLAPW who continue to take every precaution possible to ensure the safety of the people supported by our agency.
Contact: Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
Lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org
647-850-7423
November 24, 2020
Dear Families,
I hope that you are well and managing to stay positive through these challenging times of COVID 19. While we had a bit of a reprieve in the summer months and early fall, it does seem like we need to “hunker down” for what is likely to be a difficult winter. It is so hard for so many.
Given that Durham Region has moved into the RED zone because of the pandemic and virus spread, as an agency we are required to once again tighten up our visitation to our congregate care settings. We are not able to permit indoor visits at this time. Family visits must take place outside of the group home while maintaining physical distancing. This is hard to do in the winter months. All screening practices, wearing of PPE and staff observation must be followed. Visits must be pre-booked to ensure adequate staff coverage.
Recreational activities outside of the group homes apart from walks and car rides in agency vehicles are once again put on hold. Day visits to family homes and overnight visits, also are not permitted at this time. CLAPW staff have been keeping people active and busy with crafts, baking, Christmas preparation, zoom activities, music etc. We are very proud of their ability to stay positive and encouraging in these difficult situations. We are also so proud of how flexible and accommodating the staff have been. They are picking up extra hours and covering off for one-another to keep the number of people in the home down. They work their entire shift wearing surgical masks and often face shields as well. The enhanced cleaning regime has continued in an effort to protect the people we support.
We encourage you to phone your family member and whenever possible to use technology such as FaceTime and Zoom to connect remotely. We will do everything we can to facilitate this kind of connection. We know how important it is. Many of us are using this same technology to connect with our own family members and appreciate what a lifeline it can be.
We know that these restrictions are in place until at least December 21. Although there is never a good time for such a lock down, it is especially difficult during the holidays. We are sorry that you and your loved one are having to endure this separation and we appreciate your understanding. We are hopeful that with the general public following the enhanced precautions we will see the COVID 19 numbers in our community come down quickly.
If you have questions, please connect with the manager that oversees the location where your loved one resides.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Stay well and hopeful!
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
October 14, 2020
The Covid 10 outbreak within one location of our Residential Program has been declared over by the Durham Region Health Department. No supported individuals and no further staff members tested positive for COVID 19.
We appreciate the support of the Durham Regional Health Department as we dealt with this situation. We also appreciate the professionalism of our support staff and leadership team in the way that they responded to this challenge and have responded since March to take every precaution to keep people safe.
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
October 08, 2020
Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby (CLAPW) has confirmed a positive case of Covid 19 in an employee within our Residential Program. The staff person has not worked on site since September 25th and is isolating at home and feeling well.
CLAPW is following all directions provided by the Durham Region Health Unit. The agency has been implementing protective measures and preparing action plans for a variety of exposure scenarios given the vulnerable population we serve.
CLAPW will continue to closely monitor the staff members progress and will follow the guidance of health unit and medical staff as we work to keep our employees and the individuals we support safe.
We thank the dedicated staff members of CLAPW who continue to take every precaution possible to ensure the safety of the the people supported by our agency.
Contact: Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
Lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org
647-850-7423
May 22, 2020
COVID 19 FALSE POSITIVE
The individual supported by the CLAPW SIL Program who initially tested positive for COVID 19 has since had three negative COVID 19 tests. It is thought that the initial test was a false positive and that the individual (who had no COVID 19 symptoms) was in fact not ill with the virus.
The individual and the staff member who provides direct support will continue to self isolate for the full two week period out of an abundance of caution.
We are pleased that the individual is well and comfortable and will soon be able to resume regular activities.
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
May 19, 2020
COVID-19 Positive Case Identified in Supported Independent Living Program
Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby, a provider of supports and services to adults with intellectual disabilities, has confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 within the Supported Independent Living Program.
The individual who was feeling unwell, was taken to hospital where a COVID-19 test was conduced with a positive result. The individual remains under medical care in the hospital. The positive test result was received on May 16, 2020.
We are keeping the supported person in our thoughts and are pleased with the excellent care being provided by the medical staff at the local hospital.
The SIL Worker who had been in contact with the individual prior their diagnosis, is now self-isolating at home for 14 days, as directed by the Durham Region Health Unit.
CLAPW is following all directions provided by the Durham Region Health Unit. The agency has been implementing protective measures and preparing action plans for a variety of exposure scenarios given the vulnerable population we serve.
Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby will continue to closely monitor the person’s progress and follow the guidance of health unit and medical staff as we work to keep our employees and the individuals we support safe.
Contact: Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
Lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org
647-850-7423
May 04, 20202
Hello,
I wanted to give you a bit of an update regarding measures taken at CLAPW to protect people from COVID 19.
We continue to have the no visitor policy, implemented on March 13 in place at all our residential and administrative locations. This means family members, volunteers, students and contractors are not permitted entry to any of our homes. Only essential staff are permitted to be on site at these locations. As well, our day programs currently remain closed. We know that this presents a real hardship to families, but we have taken these steps to do everything in our power to keep the people we support safe and well. Thank you for supporting these measures.
We have stopped our staff from working for other employers while also working for us. We have also created staff “clusters” so that not only are our staff not crossing over from employer to employer they also are not permitted to work in more than one location within our agency. Again, we took this step before it was mandated by the government and did so to minimize risk, reduce exposure and keep the people we support and our staff members as safe as possible.
Our staff members are required to wear a surgical mask for the duration of their shifts in our residential programs. All staff are screened at the beginning of their shifts. We take the temperatures of the supported people at least twice a day.
We are very proud of how our staff have responded. They have worked closely with their managers to create schedules that work well for their location. They have responded to these challenging times professionally and have shown dedication and creativity in keeping people busy. The enhanced cleaning and screening protocols are being followed closely in all locations.
Please know that you are welcome to call, Skype, Facetime with your loved one. Ask the staff to send you pictures of your family member. It has been wonderful to see so many people keeping active, busy and happy.
At the time of this writing we have had no COVID 19 cases within any of our locations in either supported people or staff members.
We have been blessed by many in the community donating to our agency at this trying time. We have had Wii systems and games, personal protective equipment, bread makers, and money donated. If you would like to contribute in this way, we could use craft supplies (preferably unopened), board games, and disposable medical gowns at this time.
Thanks to all who have reached out to provide support!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at lisa.mcneebaker@clapw.org.
Stay well and hope to see you soon.
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director
March 24, 2020
Dear Families:
It is our goal at Community Living Ajax Pickering and Whitby (CLAPW) to always keep the lines of communication open with the people we support, their loved ones, and our community partners. We hope this letter will help alleviate some of the anxiety or fear you must be feeling as a result of the recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community and globally.
As of this letter, we have zero reported cases of COVID-19 at any of our program locations and in any of our staff members. We are taking every precaution necessary to ensure the continued health and safety of the people we support and our staff. This is our number one priority.
The CLAPW leadership team is continuously monitoring developments closely and are following guidance and recommendations from our government and public health officials, including Health Canada, Province of Ontario and The Durham Region Health Department.
As a precautionary and preventive step, we began following our Pandemic Policy and Procedure which we distributed to all staff on March 02.
• We have been educating staff and supported people on COVID-19.
• We have been auditing our PPE (personal protective equipment) and environmental cleaning supplies to ensure we are prepared.
• Staff teams have stepped up their processes and are cleaning more frequently, paying attention to high touch areas
• Staff have been provided with information regarding recognizing potential early symptoms of respiratory infections and fever, and the appropriate precautions to take
• To prevent the spread of infection, visitors to all residential locations and our administrative office have been stopped and all contractors, students, volunteers have been halted.
• All day programs have stopped, and we are beginning to re-deploy the staff from those programs to our residential sites.
• Employees are self monitoring for signs and symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and fever and are being advised to stay home if unwell.
• Staff with a history of travel have been asked to self isolate for 14 days.
• We have halted visits home for supported people currently unless the family is willing to keep the person home for the duration of this crisis.
• All non-essential services and large group gatherings are canceled until further notice.
• All non-essential medical and dental appointments have been cancelled.
• The only permitted activities for people supported in our homes include walks in the neighbourhood and van rides with no more than 2 passengers and the driver.
• Our Supported Independent Living staff have been reassuring people by phone, face to face and have been grocery shopping for all people involved in this program.
• We are striving to have all supported people maintain at least 6 feet between themselves for safety.
We will continue to follow all recommendations from Health Canada, The Province of Ontario and Durham Health Department daily.
We are proud of our Direct Support Professional Staff who have done a tremendous job of supporting people under challenging circumstances. They are keeping people happy, healthy active and engaged. They always have the care of your loved one front and centre and this is no different now. We are proud of the way they have continued to be available even when they themselves are dealing with challenges and uncertainty.
Our homes are well stocked at this time. And, we are proud of your loved ones, who are dealing with these uncertain times well and are doing their best to follow the recommendations being provided to them.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests, please do not hesitate to bring them to our attention by contacting the house/program manager that oversees your loved ones support location.
Thank you for your trust and understanding during this challenging time. Stay healthy, wash your hands, and please practice social distancing.
Wishing you health and peace of mind,
Lisa
Lisa McNee Baker
Executive Director