Winnipeg care homes still letting residents leave, even as they try keeping visitors, COVID-19 out

You probably cannot enter apersonal care homein Winnipeg, but you can leave.

Marc Roywas surprised to learn by email that he can take his mother out of theActionmargueritecare home in St. Vitalfor a short visit, even as the home prevents almost everybody from setting foot inside.

"It did come assomewhat of a shock that they would let us take our parent out of the care home,"Roy said Saturday.

"And then after that, how do we make sure that it's safe for her going back, and for the other clients and the other employees?"

Even as personal care homes rocked by COVID-19 outbreaks have clamped down on visitors,the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority hasn't put any stop to residents leaving for short periods.

Instead, the health authority issued new guidelinesthis weekin advance of the holiday season for any out-of-home visits, or social leave.

Absences limited to 2 hours

The WRHAsays any resident, and the people around them,must wear masks and show no symptoms of COVID-19or anycontagious illness. The resident can visit one location at most, and must be returned to the facility within two hours.

Ahealth authority spokesperson said manyresidents living in personal care homes have autonomy overtheir health-care choices.

"If they have the capacity to make their own decisions, we cannot prevent them from choosing to leave [the] facility even if our recommendation would be for them to remain."

The WRHAsays it strongly encourages residents to stay in place, while the province faces a ban on social gatherings.

"That said, residents, like other Manitobans who live alone, are permitted one designated caregiver to visit who resides outside the facility," the spokesperson said in an email.

"Should that designated caregiver choose to invite their loved one for a short outing, such as a walk outside, with appropriate precautions in place, this may be accommodated in discussions with the facility care team."

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has ravagedcare homes and assisted living centres, with more than 70 outbreaks reported in facilities in Manitoba. As of Friday, those outbreaks have resulted in at least 290 deaths and 1,975cases.

Roy said he isn't taking his chances. He's keeping his mother where she is.

"At this point, no," he said. "It's not a question of this would be mom's last Christmas for us or anything of the sort, it's just a risk factor that we're trying to minimize on our behalf."

Actionmargueritemanagement, which runs three care homes in Winnipeg, wants otherfamilies to make the same decision. In an email to families this week, it saidshort-termvisits are "STRONGLY discouraged" and the absences "contravene the public health order," the latter beingincorrect.

The memo added thatescorting a resident off the property and bringing them backexposesresidents and staff to greater risk during the pandemic.

Instead,Actionmargueriteis asking any absence to lastat least 14 days. Upon the resident's return, they must isolate for two weeks and receive an "asymptomatic [COVID-19] test result."

An official with Actionmargueritewasn't made availableSaturday for an interview.

Some calling for quarantine

Other care homes are also asking for a 14-day quarantine if a resident leaves andreturns, said Julie Turenne-Maynard, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly.

"They don't want to be taking the risk of having further outbreaks in their homes," she said.

She said her association was consulted as the health authority drafted stricter COVID-19 protocols for social passes, for which she's grateful.

But even if residents can leave their care homes,Turenne-Maynard said, it doesn't mean they should.

"It's not for me tosay whether it should be allowed or not, but if somebody is going to do that, they need to realize that there are risks involved in it."

The WRHAis asking forno more than two social passes to be granted in a week. Any arrangement must first be organizedwith the facility's care team. Theperson meeting the resident must be pass a COVID-19 screening before entering the facility.

A leave is only permitted if the resident lives in an area of a care home where there is no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.