Communities worldwide have had to adapt to the unprecedented circumstances brought on by COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted just how important it is to be prepared and vigilant, and equipt with prevention and response tools. The Hamlets rose to meet the demands of this challenging time to adapt to the new normal of COVID-19.

Our goal

Our team at The Hamlets (Also known as H&H Total Care Services) has always considered ‘Health’ and ‘Happiness’ (H&H) of our residents to be our utmost priority. The seniors and residents of our Residences are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. Therefore, back in February 2020, we created and implemented a Prevention and Response plan to provide our residents and staff with the necessary safety and support. A Rapid Response Taskforce was created & led by COO Hendrik Van Ryk. The team meets daily, online, from all locations to review, discuss, and implement enhanced safety protocols. The team consisted of experienced staff & management members from all divisions across all of our 8 Residences.

Our goal was to make our residents’ life as safe & comfortable as possible in our homes locations across BC & Alberta. All the while, we read and adhered to the B.C. & Alberta Provincial regulations and guidelines for the pandemic. We are happy to report that our residents and their families cooperated with our team (our Hamlet Hero’s) to follow the enhanced protocols and additional preventative measures. To date, because of everyone’s cooperation, we have managed to avoid the spread of the virus in any of our 8 Residences. Our main goal beyond keeping the Covid19 virus away from our locations was to ensure that our residents, rather than feeling “locked-in” was to help them feel “kept safe” We also wanted to stay in constant touch with their families and loved ones on the outside.

Prevention and Response Plan

Numerous government officials commend us for our Prevention and Response too. Our protocol involved running simulations to identify and tackle any gaps in our safeguards. Meanwhile, we have ensured sufficient cleaning supplies, PPE equipment, and usage training to handle any possible outbreaks. We continue to use our collective knowledge and experiences and relevant authorities to stay on top of the news and react accordingly. 

Additionally, our staff at our locations treat any presumed case with the utmost seriousness by immediately implementing the outbreak protocol. On top of this, we have kept our residents and their loved ones in the loop. We have maintained a steady flow of information between all involved parties. We regularly post updates on our websites and share them across our social media platforms. Our goal is to ensure all stakeholders are informed about policies, such as family visitation restrictions, staff entry, and exit protocols, which we made sure to enforce to the letter. 

Support at The Hamlets

Our constant efforts are underpinned to remember that our focus is on physical distancing, not social distancing. Social support is an essential part of coping with these new conditions. Keeping this in mind, one initiative we created and posted was the “Connect With A Loved One” Homepage form on our website. This form has allowed residents’ friends and family to communicate with email, sending messages, photographs, and short video messages.

All this would not have been possible without the support of our residents, their family members, and our team of Hamlet's Heroes. Our Hamlets Hero’s are amazingly cooperative and meet every challenge with dedication and passion. Our Heros have ensured that our residents have 24/7 safe access to a clean and sanitized place to call home and any information and support they require. We thank them for their passion and dedication. 

Moving forward as we begin to embrace new residents and limited visiting protocols we will continue to monitor and adapt to the latest Provincial mandates. With the onset of the fall and the traditional “flu season,” we are well stocked with all essential PPE and sanitizing and cleaning materials. 

We welcome and are grateful for the larger community support we have received and so appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we weather this unprecedented pandemic. Our dedicated Hero’s led by the members of our Hamlets Rapid Response Taskforce have done a great job and so we are confident all our residents and staff will be taken care of regardless of what the future brings.