Previous COVID-19 Updates

February 25th, 2022

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

It is good to see COVID cases decreasing in both Alberta & British Columbia! As Alberta begins the first stage of reducing certain measures, we encourage everyone to stay the course and be mindful of the regulations put forth below.

With all these continuing changes, we are moving forward with cautious optimism and hold kindness as a key part of that positivity. As the late Betty White once said, “Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself—I think that keeps you feeling young. I really do.” We couldn’t agree more.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Canada

Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada - February 11, 2022

Some travel restrictions are easing which can be read here.

The recommended interval between second COVID-19 vaccinations and the booster for the majority is six months, but the timeline for vulnerable populations and healthcare workers can be as early as eight weeks. It is highly recommended to receive a booster vaccination.

Alberta

You can now book your third dose. Find out more information here.

Temporary Measures Update. Find out more information here.

Easing COVID-19 measures in continuing care is part of Step 3 of Alberta’s path to return to normal. All existing requirements remain in place in these settings, including continuous masking for staff and visitors.

• Visiting family and friends must:
- wear a mask continuously while indoors and in resident rooms (unless a significant communication barrier is present)
- stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if mild and even if you are fully vaccinated

• Family and friends who are not fully immunized are asked to strongly reconsider their need to attend to the resident onsite, indoors and in-person before entering the site. Alternatives to onsite indoor in-person visits include outdoor visits, virtual visits and telephone calls.

• Communities have the authority to implement additional residence-based policies and processes for COVID-19 prevention (including requiring proof of vaccine or rapid testing) as appropriate to local context and consideration of resident preferences. These measures may be implemented based on consultation with residents and family members and, once implemented, apply to all persons entering the site.

• Residents returning from absences of more than 24 hours are required to actively screen daily for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask while out of their room for 10 days. This was changed from 14 days to 10 days by the CMOH 06-2022 order issued February 3, 2022, which can be found as a link on this page.

“As announced on Feb 3, 2022, shortened quarantine timelines from 14 days to 10 days are applicable to all Albertans, including residents of congregate care. This is based on a review of evolving evidence and the shift to the Omicron variant being dominant in Alberta. The incubation period for the Omicron variant is shorter than previous variants. Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants including Delta. Evidence is rapidly emerging and Alberta’s response is evolving. Additional targeted measures remain in place.”

Anyone 12 years old and up can book their first or second shot. Learn more here about children and the vaccine.

February 23rd Alberta update is here.

British Columbia

Masks are required in all public indoor settings for all people born in 2017 or earlier (5+). Read more about the provincial and regional restrictions

Anyone 18 and older will be invited to receive a booster shot.

Children 5-11 have been approved for Pfizer vaccine by Health Canada with rollout beginning November 29th.

The teams at long-term care homes and Assisted Living facilities now need to be fully vaccinated (two shots). Those who do not get vaccinated will not be able to work.

Temporary changes to visitor guidance (February 3, 2022):

• All visitors to long-term care, assisted living, and acute care facilities will need to show proof that they are fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine (excluding children under 12 years or those with an approved medical exemption). There may be exceptions for certain situations, like end-of-life visits.

• Visitors must be screened for signs and symptoms of illness prior to every visit. Visitors with signs or symptoms of illness, as well as those in self-isolation or quarantine in accordance with public health directives, are not permitted to visit.

• All visitors who are 12 years of age and older must also complete rapid point-of-care testing at the entrance.

• Operators may designate visiting hours in order to ensure there is adequate staff to support safe visiting practices.

Visitor Guidance for Long-Term Care and Seniors' Assisted Living

• All visitors must show proof of full vaccination before visiting a long-term care or seniors' assisted-living facility. The easiest way to show proof of vaccination is using your BC Vaccine Card.

• All visitors who are 12 years of age and older must also complete rapid point-of-care testing at the entrance.

• Safety precautions like hand hygiene and physical distancing will continue.

• Before your visit, review BCCDC information for Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living.

When to wear a mask at long-term care facilities:

• All visitors must wear medical masks in hallways and common areas

• You can only remove your mask when visiting residents in their living area if you're fully vaccinated

More information can be found here.

January 26th, 2022

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again.
- Jack Kornfield

Regardless of what we may be seeing on the news, there is much to be thankful for as we enter this new year—community, family, a warm home, healthy food, and much more. This kind of intentional gratitude goes a long way in caring for ourselves and one another.

Now more than ever, it is important to be kind to ourselves. Enjoy a hot drink with a friend, take a walk, read a new book, or make an appointment with the barber or hairdresser. Take the time you need to care for yourself.

Your Optima Living community is here to support you! Let us know how we can better welcome you home.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Canada

Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada - January 21, 2022

Travel health notices, Updated December 15th.

Alberta

You can now book your third dose. Find out more information here.

Temporary Measures Update. Find out more information here.

To address the potential risk that the Omicron variant poses, visitors who are close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted until 14 days have passed from their last exposure date. This is regardless of immunization status.

Visiting family and friends must wear a mask continuously while indoors and in resident rooms. A well-fitting surgical/procedure mask or they may use a well-fitted KN95 or N95 facemask or a respirator is required. If visitors do not have their own mask, a mask will be provided prior to entrance.

Stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if mild and even if you are fully vaccinated
Family and friends who are not fully immunized are asked to strongly reconsider their need to attend to the resident onsite, indoors and in-person before entering the site.
- Alternatives to onsite indoor in-person visits include outdoor visits, virtual visits and telephone calls
Communities have the authority to implement additional residence-based policies and processes for COVID-19 prevention (including requiring proof of vaccine or rapid testing) as appropriate to local context and consideration of resident preferences. These measures may be implemented based on consultation with residents and family members and, once implemented, apply to all persons entering the site.
Staff, students, service providers, volunteers and visitors must have a health assessment screening when entering the building.
- Temperature screening is no longer required.
- Asymptomatic, fully immunized staff in long-term care, designated supportive living and hospice who are a close contact are required to have rapid testing for 10 days from date of exposure.
Residents returning from absences of more than 24 hours are required to actively screen daily for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask while out of their room for 14 days.

Anyone 12 years old and up can book their first or second shot. Learn more here about children and the vaccine.

January 20th Alberta update: alberta.ca/news.aspx

Alberta vaccine records with QR codes are now the only valid proof of vaccination accepted by operators participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program.

British Columbia

Masks are required in all public indoor settings for all people born in 2017 or earlier (5+). Read more about the provincial and regional restrictions - January 20, 2022 update.

Anyone 18 and older will be invited to receive a booster shot.

Children 5-11 have been approved for Pfizer vaccine by Health Canada with rollout beginning November 29th.

The teams at long-term care homes and Assisted Living facilities now need to be fully vaccinated (two shots). Those who do not get vaccinated will not be able to work.

Temporary changes to visitor guidance (January 4th, 2022):

All visitors to long-term care, assisted living, and acute care facilities will need to show proof that they are fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine (excluding children under 12 years or those with an approved medical exemption). There may be exceptions for certain situations, like end-of-life visits.
All visitors who are 12 years of age and older must also complete rapid point-of-care testing at the entrance.
Operators may designate visiting hours in order to ensure there is adequate staff to support safe visiting practices.

Visitor Guidance for Long-Term Care and Seniors' Assisted Living

All visitors must show proof of full vaccination before visiting a long-term care or seniors' assisted-living facility. The easiest way to show proof of vaccination is using your BC Vaccine Card.
Safety precautions like hand hygiene and physical distancing will continue.
Before your visit, review BCCDC information for Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living (PDF, 661KB).

When to wear a mask at long-term care facilities

All visitors must wear medical masks in hallways and common areas
You can only remove your mask when visiting residents in their living area if you're fully vaccinated.

More information can be found here.

December 21st, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
- Confucius (551-479 BC)

As we continue to navigate the pandemic and approach another Christmas season, surely the impact of the pandemic and restrictions will continue to be part of our daily lives. The progress on all of this remains slow and it’s tempting to want to rush past all the restrictions and just open up everything again to pre-pandemic levels. This is exactly what we must not do.

Continue to stay the course, wash your hands, get vaccinated, get your flu shot, and continue to be kind to all around you—for in the end, it is kindness to our fellow humans that will be remembered.

Canada

Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada - December 17th, 2021

Travel health notices, Updated Dec 15

Interval between second COVID-19 vaccinations and the booster for the majority is 6 months but the timeline for vulnerable populations and healthcare workers can be as early as 8 weeks. It is highly recommended to receive a booster vaccination.

Alberta

The following Albertans are now eligible to book a third dose:

All Albertans aged 70 and older
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) people aged 18 and older
Front-line health-care workers who received their first two doses less than eight weeks apart
Albertans who received two doses of AstraZeneca or one dose of Janssen while abroad

The following temporary measures came into effect on October 25:

Visiting persons must wear a mask continuously (even in resident rooms)
Long term care and designated supportive living residents must be tested within 48 hours of hospital discharge (for new admissions and returns from hospital stays longer than 24 hours).
- Residents must remain in their room under contact/droplet precautions until their negative test is received.
Visiting family and friends must:
- wear a mask continuously while indoors and in resident rooms (unless a significant communication barrier is present)
- stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if mild and even if you are fully vaccinated
Family and friends who are not fully immunized are asked to strongly reconsider their need to attend to the resident onsite, indoors and in-person before entering the site.”

Anyone 12 years old and up can book their first or second covid shot. Learn more here about children and the vaccine.

December 15th Alberta update: https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=806127767DC91-C00C-A03B-5C195DC5B9C14FF2

Alberta vaccine records with QR codes are now the only valid proof of vaccination accepted by operators participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program.

British Columbia

BC has extended the requirement to wear masks in public places indefinitely. Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer said “This important layer of protection will help make all of us safer, along with practicing hand hygiene regularly, staying away if sick and, most importantly, getting fully vaccinated.”

BC has entered into a lock down in certain areas due to Omicron. Indoor organized gatherings of any size are not allowed such as weddings, New Year’s events. Bars, Nightclubs and lounges are closed. Indoor events at venus are only allowed at 50% capacity. Gyms, fitness and dance studios are closed. Sports tournaments and related travel are not allowed. Indoor personal gatherings are limited to your household plus 10, or one other household. All the current restrictions can be found here.

Anyone 18 and older will be invited to receive a booster shot.

Children 5-11 have been approved for Pfizer vaccine by Health Canada with rollout beginning November 29th.

The teams at long-term care homes and Assisted Living facilities now need to be fully vaccinated (two shots). Those who do not get vaccinated will not be able to work.

Visitor Guidance for Long-Term Care and Seniors' Assisted Living

You do not need to schedule an appointment to visit and there is no limit to the number of visitors for each resident.

All visitors should be fully vaccinated before visiting. Proof of vaccination will be required. You're fully vaccinated 14 days after dose two.
- To confirm your immunization record, or to get your BC Vaccine Card, please use Immunize BC's COVID-19 Vaccination Status Indicator tool.
Safety precautions like visitor health screening, wearing masks in common areas, hand hygiene, and physical distancing will continue.
You can only remove your mask when visiting residents in their living area if you're fully vaccinated.

Acute care visitors must be fully vaccinated.

Before your visit, review information for Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living.

More information can be found here.

October 26th, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

Maya Angelou once said, “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” It feels like it is a rather apt reminder as we continue to navigate the pandemic. While we remember to wash our hands, protect ourselves, and respect others, there are also ways in which we can focus on bringing hope and laughter to our community. Let us live with hope and zest for life even while enduring the challenges set before us. We must continue to stay focused on best practises, express gratitude to the caregivers and frontline workers, and above all continue to live in hope and look for ways to “be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”

Alberta

Alberta remains under a state of public health emergency. New Public Health restrictions came into effect starting September 16th to reduce the spread and protect our health care system. Businesses participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program will require patrons or clients to be vaccinated or to show a recent negative test result.

Getting vaccinated is the best defence from COVID-19.

Alberta Health Services has also mandated that all frontline health care workers be vaccinated by October 31, 2021.

Premier Kenney also said public sector workers will soon be required to show full proof of COVID-19 vaccination by November 30th.

Download Your QR Code

“The AB COVID Records Verifier app is available for businesses and other organizations to download onto Apple and Android devices,” Kenney said. “Albertans can obtain the QR code at alberta.ca/CovidRecords by entering basic information including their provincial healthcare number. “

“After November 15th, the scannable QR code will be the only acceptable record of vaccination,” Kenney said.

Vaccine Rate Increases to 85.3%

More than 3.2 million Albertans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of Monday, 85.3 percent of eligible Albertans have had at least one dose, and 76% are fully vaccinated.

For booster shots, 6,627 3rd-dose appointments were booked Wednesday, Alberta Health says. CBC says “Previously, immunocompromised Albertans, as well as seniors in congregate care settings, were the only ones eligible to receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But the provincial government expanded eligibility this week to all Albertans aged 75 or older and Indigenous people aged 65 or older.”

British Columbia

“As of Tuesday, October 12th, 88.8% (4,117,400) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 82.6% (3,830,063) received their second dose. In addition, 89.3% (3,862,332) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 83.3% (3,604,199) received their second dose.”

Recently, British Columbia announced that it will mandate that all healthcare workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 31st, 2021. “We'll be implementing a new order that makes vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment across all healthcare facilities in B.C. This includes all workers, students, physicians, residents, contractors, and volunteers,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said. Watch on CTV News.

British Columbia also announced a Vaccination Passport System. The vaccine card system began September 13th, at which time visitors to non-essential businesses such as restaurants and movie theatres will need at least one dose to enter.

Starting October 12th, all visitors to long-term care and assisted-living facilities will need to show proof they have received at least one dose.

Starting October 26th, all visitors to long-term care, assisted living and acute care communities will need to show proof they are fully vaccinated with two doses. Those who are not vaccinated will not be able to visit these high-risk settings (excluding children 12 or under or those with an approved medical exemption).

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

September 24th, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

When it comes to the news and social media addressing COVID-19, there are as many perspectives as there are people.

It makes one wonder how we navigate these times.

There is one word that immediately comes to mind. We navigate all of this with love. Love, care, compassion, and concern for those we love and those around us—for the caregivers, for the sick, for those who have lost loved ones.

Continue to care for yourself and others in any way you can. Wash your hands. Get vaccinated. Be Safe. Stay in touch. Turn off the news more. Be positive. Find ways to show love. Pay for someone else’s coffee at the drive through, share a wink when you can’t see that smile, share a word of encouragement in an unexpected way, reach out to your neighbour, leave a flower on someone’s doorstep...and above all, don’t give up hope!

If you are struggling, reach out to many of the online or mental health professionals that are available, or call your Optima Living community. We can put you in touch with a support network.

Alberta

Alberta announced new temporary measures that came into effect September 4th, including that masks are again mandatory in all public places. The province also declared a medical state of emergency.

As of September 20th, Alberta has also created a vaccine record system. Certain public places and events may require proof of vaccination. Sweeping new measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 were also instituted. More information is available here.

"Given the current increase in cases and hospitalizations, testing and mandatory isolation will continue until the province reaches a point where we can take this next step," Alberta Health spokesperson Chris Bourdeau told CBC News.

Alberta Health Services has also mandated that all frontline health care workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 31, 2021.

The province recently announced that Albertans will be given $100 to get a first or second dose of vaccine against COVID-19. The $100 incentive will be a debit card and it will be available until October 14th.

The province says as of September 22nd, 73% percent of eligible Albertans have received both doses of vaccine against COVID and 81% percent of eligible Albertans have received at least one dose.

Alberta issued a press release on September 9th, announcing more funding to increase health care capacity. Watch the video here.

Supportive Living

Booster shots: Third dose booster shots are occurring in Long-Term Care and Supportive Living communities in Alberta.

Existing public health orders for acute care will remain the same. Masks must still be worn when working in or visiting any continuing care community, as well as any community operated by AHS. For more information on current restrictions in these settings, see protecting residents at congregate care facilities.

British Columbia

British Columbia province wide mask mandate was reinstated August 25th.

British Columbia also announced a Vaccination Passport System. The vaccine card system began September 13th, at which time visitors to non-essential businesses such as restaurants and movie theatres will need at least one dose to enter.

By October 24th, they'll need to have both doses, and won't be considered fully vaccinated for seven days after the second shot. This requirement is currently in place until January 31st, but could be extended.

Recently, British Columbia also announced that it will mandate that all healthcare workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 31, 2021. “We'll be implementing a new order that makes vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment across all health-care facilities in B.C. This includes all workers, students, physicians, residents, contractors and volunteers,” Bonnie Henry said. Watch on CTV News.

Visiting Long-Term Care or Seniors’ Assisted Living Communities in B.C.

• You do not need to schedule an appointment to visit and there is no limit to the number of visitors for each resident.

• All visitors should be fully vaccinated before visiting. You are fully vaccinated 14 days after dose 2.

• To confirm your immunization record, or to get your BC Vaccine Card, please use Immunize BC's COVID-19 Vaccination Status Indicator tool.

• Safety precautions like visitor health screening, wearing masks in common areas, hand hygiene, and physical distancing will continue.

• You can only remove your mask when visiting residents in their living area if you are fully vaccinated.

• Staff who are not confirmed to be fully vaccinated will continue to wear a medical mask at work and follow safety precautions.

Before your visit, review information for Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living.

More information can be found here.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

August 24, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

While we may be fatigued about COVID-19 and its constant presence in the news, there continues to be an influx of research and data that can make us wonder how this will all conclude. With the Delta variant on the rise and the fourth wave of Covid-19 underway in Canada, this is not the time to let our guard down. Let’s continue to stay healthy and follow the public health indicators.

Rest assured, it is perfectly okay to take small steps as we navigate through this evolving environment. Take as much time as you need to adjust, and reach out to friends, family, or even to us for help and support if you are feeling overwhelmed or unsure of things. There are great people just a phone call away.

Take care and be safe. We are getting through this together!

Alberta

On August 13th, 2021, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, made a statement that the scheduled health restrictions that were to lift on August 16th will now stay in place for another six weeks. This is due to the rise in Delta variant cases.

“We are not going backwards. We are pausing to monitor and assess before taking a step forward. If monitoring confirms our original expectations that a rise in cases will not lead to high levels of (hospitalizations) and we do not see evidence of increased risk for severe disease for children, we will proceed with implementing the next set of changes after September 27,” shared Hinshaw in a news conference.

Supportive Living
Existing public health orders for acute care will remain the same. Masks must still be worn when working in or visiting any continuing care facility, as well as any facility operated by AHS, Covenant, or their contracted service providers. For more information on current restrictions in these settings, see protecting residents at congregate care facilities.

Open for Summer Lottery
Alberta also has an “Open For Summer” Vaccine Lottery that is open to all Alberta residents 18 and over that have received their vaccination. Prize details and information can be found here.

British Columbia

As per Aug 25, 2021, BC has reinstated a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces in an effort to combat the fourth wave of COVID-19. Read more details in this press release from B.C. Government News. This order from the provincial health officer will require people 12 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status, beginning Wednesday August 25th.

Visiting long-term care or Seniors’ assisted living facilities in BC

• Visitation has increased at all LTC and AL sites, pls check with the site for the latest guidelines.

• All visitors should be fully vaccinated before visiting. You're fully vaccinated 14 days after dose 2.

• To confirm your immunization record, use Immunize BC's COVID-19 Vaccination Status Indicator tool.

• Safety precautions like visitor health screening, wearing masks in common areas, hand hygiene, and physical distancing will continue.

• You can only remove your mask when visiting residents in their living area if you're fully vaccinated.

• Staff who are not confirmed to be fully vaccinated will continue to wear a medical mask at work and follow safety precautions.

Before your visit, review information for Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living.

Full documentation can be found here.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

July 19th, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

We are seeing the dawn! We are regaining our social relationships and opening our economies with some semblance of normalcy. It’s exciting now to see how a successful vaccination campaign is beginning to restore what we had before this pandemic! At Optima Living communities across Western Canada, family visits and other social events are becoming more common. The health and safety of our residents and staff are still our top priorities, so our sanitation and PPE requirements for staff and visitors will continue.

Take care and be safe. We are getting through this together!

Canada

The Public Health Agency of Canada released a chart with recommendations outlining how people should approach various social situations, depending on their vaccination status. The chart includes updated masking recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated persons and can be accessed at the link above.

The Government of Canada continues to discourage non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice. Federal requirements regarding travel and vaccinations are posted here.

Alberta

Due to high vaccination rates, Alberta has lifted some of the remaining mandatory COVID-19 rules for continuing and long-term care facilities. Please check with your community Manager for further details on indoor and outdoor site visits, and read more here.

AHS is continuing to implement access restrictions and requirements. The updated guidance is available here.

Phase one:

Effective July 13, Alberta is moving to ease remaining restrictions.

Restrictions will be eased in 2 phases. Phase 1 changes are effective as soon as operators are able to do so, but residences have until July 31 to implement all changes.

Visitation policy

• The COVID-19 visiting policy has been rescinded and visitors will no longer be limited in number or conditions.

• Follow the pre-pandemic visiting process of each site.

• Visitors must continue to wear a mask in indoor common areas.

• Masks may be removed in private rooms or spaces if the resident prefers.

• Visitors who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks at all times in all areas of the building.

Phase two:

All remaining restrictions will be removed at a later date with a return to pre-pandemic processes and expectations. This includes outbreak protocols, testing requirements, and rules around isolation and quarantine.

You can reserve your vaccine by visiting https://www.alberta.ca/covid19-vaccine.aspx or calling 811.

Open for Summer Lottery

Alberta also has an “Open For Summer” Vaccine Lottery that is open to all Alberta residents 18 and over that have received their vaccination. Prize details and information can be found here.

British Columbia

Eased visitation restrictions for Senior Residences are coming on July 19.

Please check with your community manager for details on indoor and outdoor site visits.

"Because of the progress that we've made across the board here in B.C., we're now at a place where we can more fully open and get back to visitation once again," Henry said.

“Changes to long-term care and seniors’ assisted living include:

• Visitors will no longer need to schedule or book in advance to visit loved ones, and the limit on the number of visitors for each resident will be removed.

• Fully immunized visitors can visit with residents without wearing a mask.

• Larger, facility-wide social events or gatherings are safe to begin again.

• Indoor gatherings may include residents and staff across units of a facility, while outdoor gatherings may include family and friends.

Adult day programs and in-facility respite can fully resume, providing additional health and well-being benefits for seniors and caregivers in the community.”

“After an incredibly challenging 18 months, it is uplifting to see people in long-term care and assisted living get back to doing more of the things they love, like gathering with friends, family, and community members,” said Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care. “As we put COVID-19 behind us, we will continue to ensure our seniors living in long-term care and assisted living are safe, supported, and cared for.”

The screening of visitors and practices such as hand hygiene, use of medical masks, and physical distancing will remain in place when visitation restrictions are eased. It is strongly recommended that visitors choose to get fully immunized against COVID-19, in order to lower the risk to people in long-term care settings.”

You can register for your vaccine by clicking here or calling 1-833-838-2323.

Restrictions

Please click here for the latest details on BC restrictions.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

June 7, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

The situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing and evolving and we are delighted to see easing of restrictions in BC and Alberta as more and more people get vaccinated. While variants of concern continue to circulate, vaccinations are also impacting statistics in positive ways. Our residences have very high vaccination rates, and most of our staff are also vaccinated.

Remember to balance this positive information with what you may be seeing on the news. Let’s keep in sight the ongoing efforts of our teams to keep residents safe. Please support their work by continuing to follow health protocols. Don’t forget to follow the links below to book your own vaccination if you have not already done so.

Take care and be safe. We are getting through this together!

Alberta:

The Government of Alberta announced a three-stage plan to lift health restrictions over the next few weeks. The stages are based on vaccination thresholds and hospitalizations:

- Stage 1 (to start June 1): Two weeks after 50 percent of Albertans aged 12- plus have received at least one dose of vaccine and COVID-19 hospitalizations are below 800 and declining.

- Stage 2 (expected to start in mid-June): Two weeks after 60 percent of Albertans aged 12-plus have received at least one dose of vaccine and COVID-19 hospitalizations are below 500 and declining.
- Stage 3 (expected to start in early July): Two weeks after 70 percent of Albertans aged 12-plus have received at least one dose of vaccine.

More information on this plan is available on the government website.

Visitation in Continuing Care Residences:

On May 10, the following changes came into effect. Changes are being made because of the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations among residents and staff in continuing care sites.

- Each resident may have up to four different people acting as their designated family/support persons. This is an increase from two, and can include minors.
- Where possible, indoor social gatherings with visitors can now resume, as long as they are all from the same household and distancing, masking, and other health measures remain in place.
- Outdoor social visits at these facilities can expand to up to 10 people. This is double the current limit of five.
- Visitation for residents at the end-of-life will continue to be supported.

Vaccines

You can reserve your vaccine by visiting https://www.alberta.ca/covid19-vaccine.aspx or calling 811.

British Columbia:

British Columbians are expected to learn more about the interval between first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines over the coming weeks from Dr. Bonnie Henry.

BC Opening Plan

- Step 1 (Starting May 25): The criteria for Step 1 is at least 60% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with stable case counts and COVID-19 hospitalizations.
- Step 2 (Earliest start date June 15): The criteria for moving to Step 2 is at least 65% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with declining case counts and COVID-19 hospitalizations.
- Step 3 (Earliest start date July 1): The criteria for moving to Step 3 is at least 70% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with low case counts and declining COVID-19 hospitalizations.
- Step 4 (Earliest start date September 7): The criteria for moving to Step 4 is more than 70% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with low case counts and low COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Vaccines

You can register for your vaccine by visiting https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register or calling 1-833-838-2323.

Restrictions

Please click here for the latest details on BC restrictions.
Inter provincial and health region travel restrictions remain in place until the phases of the opening requirements are reached.

- Recreational travel within your travel region allowed

- Non-essential travel between travel regions continues to be restricted

Visitation is critically important for both residents and their families. We are committed to facilitating visits in accordance with provincial and local public health guidelines designed to keep residents and those who care for them safe. For information about visiting a specific site, please contact the Site Manager.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

April 21st, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

Thank you for your continued vigilance in the fight against COVID-19. As the race against Variants of Concern and Vaccines intensifies, we must continue to stay the course by maintaining proper PPE usage including masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene.

While staying the course is challenging, we can together seek ways to encourage those around us, finding ways to add some sunshine to your own heart as well as to your loved ones.

Alberta:

As announced on April 7th, Alberta is reverting back to Step 1 of its public health restriction framework in order to curb the growing spread of COVID-19 and its variants. Read more here.

Vaccinations:

Starting April 12th, Alberta is moving to Phase 2C with vaccines available for all healthcare workers. To learn more about vaccine eligibility in Phase 2C, click here.

- To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine program, click here.
- To book your vaccine appointment, visit the AHS website.

British Columbia:

Some easing of restrictions for residents in long-term care and assisted living began this month and allow for more frequent, routine opportunities for social visitation.

The following restrictions are in place in BC currently:

- The variance allowing indoor religious gatherings and worship services between March 28 and May 13 is suspended
-Indoor low-intensity group exercise classes are cancelled
-Restaurants, pubs and bars are closed for indoor dining. Outdoor patio seating and take-out or delivery is allowed
-Whistler Blackcomb ski resort is closed

Safety recommendations:

In addition to the orders, the BC Provincial Health Officer strongly recommends:

- Working from home whenever possible, unless it is essential to be in the workplace
- Keeping your child home from school if they feel sick or have any sign of illness
- Getting testing immediately if you or anyone in your family feels sick
- Avoiding all non-essential travel

Please refer to the following link for latest details on BC restrictions: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restrictions

Vaccinations:

British Columbia is in Phase 3 of vaccinations.

Timeline: April to May 2021

People aged 79 to 60, in five year increments:
- - 79 to 75 (Dose 1 April)
- - 74 to 70 (Dose 1 April)
- - 69 to 65 (Dose 1 April)
- - 64 to 60 (Dose 1 April/May)
People aged 74 to 16 who are clinically extremely vulnerable (Dose 1 March/April)
Register to be vaccinated by clicking here.

Thank you to all residents, families, and care partners for their diligence with the continuation of COVID-19 precautions. That teamwork and dedication has enabled our success with keeping COVID-19 at bay. All of us can’t wait till we are past this third wave, and if we stay the course, we will get through this together.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

April 1st, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

We continue to see Alberta & British Columbia expand the rollout of available vaccines. While each government continues to make efforts to vaccinate everyone, we must continue to maintain precautions like adhering to physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing masks. If we stay the course, we will get through this together.

Alberta:

This summary is taken from Alberta Health Services COVID-19 Update.

Booking through a participating pharmacy begins March 30

The next group of eligible Albertans will be able to start booking COVID-19 immunizations through participating pharmacies on March 30 as part of phase 2B. Seniors can book directly through a participating pharmacy, which can be found on the Alberta Blue Cross website. Additional pharmacies will offer bookings starting the week of April 5, as more doses arrive.

Booking through Alberta Health Services begins April 5

AHS is offering appointments in a staged approach and will start with those born in or before 1959 with underlying health conditions. All eligible Albertans wanting to book their appointment through AHS can do so through the online booking tool or by calling Health Link at 811.

British Columbia:

Some easing of restrictions for Long Term Care Facilities are pending for April 1st.

Beginning April 1st, all residents in long-term care and assisted living will be able to have frequent, routine opportunities for social visitation. Eased restrictions include:

removing the requirement for a single designated social visitor to allow for additional family and friends to visit long-term care and assisted living residents;
expanding the number of visitors so up to two visitors, plus a child, will be allowed to visit at a time, allowing people to connect in small groups;
changing the allowable location of visits so family and friends can visit in residents’ rooms without staff present; and
allowing physical touch between visitors and residents, provided appropriate infection prevention and control measures, like masks and hand hygiene, are in place.”

“Changes to long-term care visitation to allow for increased social connection are incredibly welcome news for seniors and Elders in long-term care, and the communities that support them,” said Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care.

Click here to read “COVID-19: Visitor Restrictions in Long-Term Care & Seniors’ Assisted Living” from the Government of British Columbia.

New B.C. Restrictions

“COVID-19 continues to create challenges for people and businesses throughout B.C., and we are grateful for the sacrifices people continue to make to keep one another safe,” Premier John Horgan said Monday. See Global News for details of the new restrictions that came into effect on Tuesday, March 30th.

“More than 61,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered over the past three days, and 611,000 people have gotten at least one dose”, according to Global News.

More Resources:

Thank you to all residents, families, and care partners for their diligence with the continuation of COVID-19 precautions. All of our success has been the result of our continued teamwork.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

March 17th, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

Every day, we get closer to vaccines being available to all Canadians. Many of our communities are already fully vaccinated, and a year into this long battle against the virus, it’s important to remember that are brighter days ahead!

We work hard to keep updated about the COVID-19 situation and to keep you informed. We are seeing COVID-positive case numbers continue to decrease, but we must continue to maintain precautions like adhering to physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing masks. If we stay the course, we will get through this together.

Vaccine information:

Vaccines don't just protect the people getting vaccinated; they protect everyone around them too. The more people in a community who are vaccinated, and therefore protected from COVID-19, the harder it is for it to spread. As mention by Public Health Officers, many of the aggressive measures we have taken (screening, contact tracing, physical distancing, hand hygiene, wearing masks, etc.) have given us much needed time for the vaccines to work as the race continues between the variants and the vaccines.

Alberta information:

After Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization announced Wednesday that provinces and territories could extend the time between COVID-19 vaccine doses, Alberta confirmed it will be doing so. Starting March 10, anyone who books a first dose will have their second dose timeline extended up to four months and Alberta will expand its COVID-19 vaccine rollout to include people under age 75 starting March 15, and if shipments arrive as scheduled, all adults in the province will receive their first dose by the end of June.

To avoid long delays for vaccine appointments, when Phase 2A begins on March 15 bookings will be offered in two-year age groups. On the first day, anyone aged 73 or 74 will be able to book. On the second day, eligibility will be expanded to include anyone aged 71 to 72, and so on from there.

To reduce wait times and vaccinate people as quickly as possible, AHS will be offering appointment bookings by age group. Immunizations will also be offered to the entire Phase 2A cohort through pharmacies across the province. Participating pharmacies are listed on the Alberta
Blue Cross website. Staff and residents in seniors' supportive-living facilities who are not already immunized will also be able to book appointments starting on Day 1.

Appointments will be booked through both participating pharmacies, the online booking tool, as well as HealthLink 811. First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are aged 50 and older will also receive the vaccine starting the week of March 15.

Please refer to the Alberta COVID-19 website for further information: https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx

British Columbia Information:

B.C. is moving into Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Immunization Plan. During this phase approximately 400,000 people will be immunized from March to mid-April, including seniors, Indigenous peoples and people who live and work in independent living.

If you're a senior born in 1941 or earlier or an Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) person born in 1956 or earlier, you have to call to book a vaccine appointment over the phone when you are scheduled to call in. If you fall into this age group and live in independent living, supportive housing or home-care support and have not already been contacted to book your COVID-19 vaccine appointment, call to schedule an appointment.

Refer to the following link for Vaccine appointments for seniors: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/seniors

All of us at Optima Living want to extend a special thank you to all residents, families, and care partners for their diligence with COVID-19 precautions. The last year has been incredibly tough but one where we saw the human spirit triumph with incredible acts of courage and generosity that will continue to inspire us every day.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

February 24th, 2021

Dear Optima Living Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

Every day, new steps are being taken towards our health and safety. We work hard to stay abreast of these changes and to keep you informed. We are encouraged to see COVID-positive case numbers going down, but we must continue to maintain precautions like adhering to physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing masks.

Albertans - Book your Vaccination

Call 811

Vaccinating Those Over 75

On February 24, 2021, Albertans who were born in 1946 or earlier are able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1B of the provincial vaccination program. The vaccine will be provided to seniors 75 year of age and older in two doses. These doses will be approximately 5-6 weeks apart. This aligns with the approach recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). As per Dr. Hinshaw, if you are turning 75 this year and are currently 74 as of February 24th, you can obtain the COVID 19 vaccine.

How to Book

Albertans who are over 75 can use the AHS online booking tool to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated with options for a time, date, as well as a window to book the second dose within the recommended 32 to 42 days.

Book now

Click here to read more information about vaccines for Albertans.

For questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, side effects, eligibility and more, visit: COVID-19 Vaccine Sequencing FAQ or the COVID-19 information page.

British Columbians - Pre-Register for Vaccinations

Starting in mid-February, Health Authorities will reach out to seniors 80 years and older and Indigenous seniors 65 years and older and Indigenous Elders to provide information on how to pre-register for immunization appointments for phase 2. Please click here to visit the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s website and find out more vaccine information.

Pre-Register

Vigilant health measures

British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry indicated that the public health measures must continue.

Dr. Henry said the following: “It’s important that we remain vigilant and follow public health guidance so we can continue on the path forward. Please continue to refrain from indoor social gatherings. Wear a mask when in an indoor public setting and stay home if you’re sick.”

We all want to get to the days of fewer restrictions. The timeline for easing restrictions depends on our individual actions, and factors like variants of concern, vaccine supply, and hospitalizations. We need a little more time and to keep following the data & science.

Together, we can get to the brighter, safer days ahead!

AHS COVID-19 Updates

Alberta has a new 4-step plan to ease public health restrictions based on hospitalization benchmarks. Click here to read the plan.
For a comprehensive list of Alberta Health Services documents related to COVID-19, click here.
For a Full record of Alberta Health Decisions and regular COVID-19 updates please click here.
For Alberta immunization information, click here.
For more information for Alberta, click here.

B.C. Health COVID-19 Updates

For B.C.’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan, click here.
For more information for British Columbia Province-wide restrictions, click here.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

January 28th, 2021

Dear Optima Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

We hope you are enjoying a healthy start to this new year!

We are happy to report COVID-19 positive numbers are declining. However, we must continue to maintain precautions like adhering to social distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing masks.

COVID-19 vaccines have been offered to all of our Supportive Living communities in Alberta. We have seen a positive turnout of both residents and staff at Wild Rose in Edmonton, Country Cottage in Sherwood Park, Century Park in Vegreville, and Aspen House in Morinville! We are also grateful that residents in our independent living communities have also been offered vaccines. In addition, all of our Assisted Living and Long-Term Care communities in British Columbia have offered the vaccine.

Optima Living is grateful to our care partners, site leadership teams, and Alberta Health Services for all the tireless efforts during the pandemic. Global News recently featured a story on how seniors living communities have fared during the pandemic. Wild Rose is one of six communities in Edmonton that have remained outbreak-free. Country Cottage, one of our Optima Living communities in Sherwood Park, is also outbreak-free. Global featured Wild Rose, our Optima Living community in Terra Losa, West Edmonton on the 6 pm news on January 26th. Marie Concepcion—General Manager of Wild Rose—said that “Our success is due to the support, understanding and patience that we have received from our residents and their families.” Yvette Elmquist—Regional Director, Quality Care—said “Optima Living is very thankful and recognizes the great work our employees, residents, and visitors are doing by following the Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s direction in preventing the spread of COVID-19 into Wild Rose.” You can read both of these team members’ full statements at our blog by clicking here.

Watch the Global News segment

Alberta is now permitting salons to open. This means we are able to have hair stylists in our Supportive Living and Long Term Care sites, who will be following all previous CMOH orders regarding restrictions.

Our Optima Living communities in British Columbia are also providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff in our Supportive Living sites. According to Dr. Bonnie Henry, the Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia, the province has administered 116,657 first doses since January 25, 2021. Despite the delay of the Pfizer vaccine, Henry said the province is still on track to protect “the most vulnerable” by the end of March and then open the vaccine program further in April.

It is still important to be mindful of ongoing and changing provincial regulations. In the general public, there are still significant numbers of new cases every day.

The Canadian Federal Government announced that Canada will not receive any Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines until the beginning of February. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said this may result in the shifting of some second-dose appointments in the province. “Alberta Health Services is working as hard as possible to make sure that people know what to expect and when they can, and how they can, book their second doses,” Dr. Hinshaw said recently at a news conference. “So I ask for people to be patient.”

As we wait for vaccines to arrive and for numbers to decrease, we ask that you join us in continuing to take necessary precautions. Now is the time to stay positive, keep hopeful, and be patient.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

Immunization Information:

For B.C. immunization information, click here.

For Alberta immunization information, click here.

COVID-19 information:

For more information for British Columbia, click here.

For more information for Alberta, click here.

January 11th, 2021

Dear Optima Residents, Employees, and Stakeholders,

On behalf of all of us at Optima Living, Happy New Year!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT AS WE BATTLED COVID-19 IN 2020. TOGETHER, WE ARE GETTING THROUGH THIS.

2020 was a memorable year, for all the reasons we know. In mid-March, a once-in-a-century event, COVID-19, hit the entire world and went on to disrupt our lives. Thankfully, as the year came to a close, a vaccine was discovered that gave some hope for normalcy in 2021.

Currently, residents and staff at several of our communities have received vaccinations, and we look forward to ensuring all residents and employees, regardless of where they’re located, have the same protection. Looking back at the past year, we would like to share and reflect on what 2020 meant for us and what insights we gained from this time.

First and foremost, the power of human resilience triumphed as employees connected to our core mission: Let us welcome you home. Despite some sad and sometimes even tragic situations happening around them, employees went to work every day to look after our most vulnerable. In turn, Optima Living leaders worked hard to provide the necessary support and resources, ensuring their safety and the safety of all residents.

We had 93-year-old residents learn how to Zoom, FaceTime, and use other technology we never before imagined possible during this period. We saw firsthand the generosity and kindness from businesses and the general public; whether it was dropping off flowers for residents, families standing outside serenading our residents, or in the early days of COVID-19, suppliers donating masks to ensure we had sufficient supply.

Second, as an organization and as leaders, we had to pivot. In early April, we met as a leadership team to strategize and make some key decisions that would guide us through the rest of the year. We realized that the crisis allowed us to connect around our common purpose and reinforce our values and commitment to residents. Here are some of the key achievements:

Ensured safety always came first: We prioritized science above all else and focused on ensuring the safest environment for all residents regardless of the care environment. This meant that early on, Independent Living residences could benefit from the portfolio-wide clinical knowledge gained in Assisted Living, Mental Health and/or Long Term care on maintaining the health and safety of our residents and employees. Infection control protocols included implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Authorities and often exceeding those guidelines, such as: Universal masking for care partners; Enhanced and active screening for the virus; Limiting access to essential visitors only; Enhanced cleaning and sanitation; Infection control and outbreak plans; and Ensuring adequate supplies of PPE.

Recorded extremely low numbers of positive cases: As a result of careful and conservative management and a strong clinical approach that closely followed the science, all Optima Living communities were COVID free until October 2020. Since then, we have had three sites with active cases, all but two were cleared by end of year. We have one site that is currently under outbreak that is being actively managed.

Invested in Web and Social Media to reach out and connect: We revamped our website to better communicate with potential residents, influencers, and external stakeholders. We partnered with a marketing agency to manage our social channels and invested in communicating about our operating philosophy regularly. Further, we launched monthly virtual coffee chats in April, which continue now as successful outreach initiatives.
Invested in knowledge to maintain excellence in service and care delivery: With the Universities of Alberta and Manitoba, we created knowledge partnerships. By doing this, we leveraged their knowledge and our know-how of the market to feature webinars on important topics for seniors such as healthy aging, dealing with Alzheimer’s, surviving loneliness during COVID. And we did it all through our new YouTube channel.
Amplified Our Voice: We communicated and then communicated some more. We extensively communicated with residents, employees, and investors using many different methods to engage and get out our messages, such as virtual employee town hall meetings and regular website updates.
Built Community Leadership: We assumed leadership roles in B.C. and Alberta with the Ministries of Health around COVID-19 policies at our sites as well as actively participated in industry associations at the executive and task force levels to ensure our voice was heard.

Third, we stayed the course. The days and months were long, and we often discussed and debated our strategy and the path set out in April., But we stayed the course and remained committed. Looking back, it was the right decision. By staying true to the Optima Way, we maintained our purpose and values.

As 2021 begins, there is some light starting to shine. Our industry has forever changed. Over time, we believe this change will be positive since it will drive government resources to the sector. Such a positive change will also drive change for operators and require even more innovation and better ways of delivering services. From all of this, residents, their families, and employees will be the beneficiaries.

We look forward to a time sometime this year when we can see each other freely again and make those meaningful human connections.

Stay Safe. Be Well. Take Care.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

December 16th, 2020

Dear Optima Living Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

You are in our thoughts during these days as we work together to keep our residents and those who care for them safe.

While we are excited about the rollout of the vaccine programs, Alberta and British Columbia continue to be in very serious situations with regards to the pandemic, and we at Optima Living are asking everyone to be partners in a team with the shared goal of flattening the curve of COVID-19. Let’s continue to do our part to be safe and protect each other as we now can look forward to the future with optimism.

In British Columbia, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), has now enacted province wide restrictions. By order of the PHO, all individuals, and places of work, must significantly reduce social interactions and travel. In effect until January 8, 2021, the order states that there must be “No social gatherings of any size with anyone other than your household or core bubble.”

In Alberta, there are now stronger public health measures in effect to protect the health system and slow the spread. These mandatory restrictions apply provincewide and will be in place at least until January 12, 2021. It states that “all indoor and outdoor social gatherings are prohibited.”

Alberta

Latest guidelines for protecting residents at congregate care facilities in Alberta: https://www.alberta.ca/protecting-residents-at-congregate-care-facilities.aspx#toc-1

- Up to two essential visitors, identified by the Resident, may visit at a time in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living Settings during non-outbreak periods. The visitor must be identified on the essential visitor list on site.
- Each visitor must be verified and be on a list provided by the resident. They will undergo a health screening prior to entering the community. This will include a temperature check and a questionnaire.
- Visits must occur in the resident’s room, great room or outdoor patio when arranged with the site staff and prior to the scheduled visit.
- Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit and ensure they have cleared all of the questions on the questionnaire.
- In the case of palliative or end-of-life visitation, more than two visitors are allowed, following screening and upon checking with the site Manager. Masks and hand hygiene are still required.

British Columbia

Latest guidelines for B.C. health updates: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care..

- Visitors must follow the guidelines as per Public Health. Call the residence to book your visit and ask about restriction changes for that specific day.
- Please note that there is a new B.C. visitation policy as of November 11th. To learn more, click here.
- Residents are permitted one essential visitor (unless visits are of a palliative nature).
- Please note that there is a new B.C. mask policy as of November 9th. To learn more, click here.
- You will be screened for signs and symptoms of illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.
- Only outdoor walks with visitors are allowed, with masks and physical distance.

Essential Visits at Long-term and Acute Care Communities for B.C.

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at long-term care and acute care communities. Essential visits are:

- Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life and Medical Assistance in Dying.
- Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.
- Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including: Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care and existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

We continue to encourage the designated essential visitor to visit their loved one on site. Please pre-book your visit with the residence during this time of COVID-19 restrictions to keep everyone safe over the holiday season.

Thank you.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

December 8th

Please note that British Columbia restrictions have been extended until January 8th.

NEW B.C. VISITATION POLICY - One essential visitor only. Click here to learn more.

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NEW B.C. MASK POLICY - Medical masks required. Click here to learn more.

Dear Optima Living Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

Halloween has passed, but has there been anything more scary than 2020?

Although Halloween may have looked a little different than what we are used to, each one of our communities managed to celebrate in their own way, while following COVID-19 protocols.

We have been dealing with this virus for eight months now, and together we are getting stronger with each day that passes. COVID-19 is not a sprint but a marathon in protecting ourselves and others in our communities.

Our care partners, residents, and families have been amazing, and are navigating through this ordeal with tremendous strength and resilience.

We want to remind you of our webinars and coffee chats that will enable you to remain connected and informed! Head to our Optima Living Facebook page to learn more.

We also want to extend our kind words and encouragement to our communities located in Claresholm and Vegreville, Alberta. Cottonwood Village and Century Park are allowing essential visitors from October 31st onwards, effective for two weeks pending the orders from the Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hinshaw.

If you have family or friends in these communities, please reach out and connect with their community regarding visitation.

Flu season is upon us, so don’t forget to get your flu shot! Alberta Health Services (AHS) and HealthLink BC have provided valuable information about the flu and the vaccine. Click here for the AHS information, and here for the HealthLink BC resource.

Thank you. Be safe. Be well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

Alberta

Up to two essential visitors, identified by the Resident, may visit at a time in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living Settings during non-outbreak periods. The visitor must be identified on the essential visitor list on site.
Each visitor must be verified and be on a list provided by the resident. They will undergo a health screening prior to entering the community. This will include a temperature check and a questionnaire.
Visits must occur in the resident’s room, great room or outdoor patio when arranged with the site staff and prior to the scheduled visit.
Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit and ensure they have cleared all of the questions on the questionnaire.
Visitors must comply with any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements which includes wearing a medical grade mask available on site, maintain social distancing of two meters or six feet and use hand sanitizer before and following visiting. No physical contact is permitted.
Masks must be worn for the entire visit. Following your visit you are to remove the mask, place it in the garbage can provided at the front door, and complete hand hygiene.
Respiratory hygiene (coughing/sneezing into your sleeve) is expected during your visit. Use site hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and warm water.
In the case of palliative or end-of-life visitation, more than two visitors are allowed, following screening and upon checking with the site Manager. Masks and hand hygiene are still required.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

Please note that there is a new B.C. visitation policy as of November 11th. To learn more, click here.
Residents are permitted one essential visitor (unless visits are of a palliative nature).
Please note that there is a new B.C. mask policy as of November 9th. To learn more, click here.
All visitors in a Long-Term Care or Seniors Assisted Living residence must wear a medical mask at all times.
You will be screened for signs and symptoms of illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.
Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance where possible.

Essential Visits at Long-term and Acute Care Communities for BC

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at long-term care and acute care communities. Essential visits are:

Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life and Medical Assistance in Dying.
Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.
Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including: Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care and existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Social visits

Visitors must:

Book the visit in advance with staff.
Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the community.
Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.
Socialize in designated visiting areas which may include, outdoor and indoor spaces, as well as single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

October 19th

Dear Optima Living Team Members, Residents, and Families:

I am delighted to provide the following update on behalf of the entire Optima Living Family.

On October 2nd, we discovered that one of the care partners tested COVID-positive at Century Park in Vegreville, Alberta. Yesterday, we received the final test results that there has been no transmission of the virus to any residents or care partners. All residents and staff have been tested multiple times and each time results showed that they were COVID-free. In addition, the care partner is recovering well, for which we are grateful.

Special thanks to Century Park Site Manager Vishu Kaur for her amazing leadership and the entire Pro Vita team around her who everyday support Century Park. Other people and groups who deserve our sincere thanks include Yvette Elmquist, Regional Director of Quality Care, who went directly into the site for a few days providing assistance, and Pro Vita and the rest of the Optima Living Support Services and Operations team members. Thank you to everyone for your efforts in protecting our residents and those who care for them.

When Century Park was informed in early October that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19, the team under Vishu’s leadership immediately started to put in place the pandemic plan that AHS had reviewed and approved beforehand. Over the past few weeks, Century Park worked tirelessly with AHS to use best-practice/evidence-based guidelines for COVID-19 outbreak prevention, control and management.

We have reached out to offer emotional support to the care partner who was diagnosed and continue to be in regular contact to ensure this person is recovering well.

Vishu, and both the on and off-site teams, did an amazing job. It has been incredibly special to see care partners step up and provide remarkable care to residents when they needed it the most.

As winter approaches, a reminder that guidelines already put in place last March will continue, such as staff wearing personal protective equipment when caring for residents and screening residents and staff for COVID-19 symptoms. This was the first case of COVID-19 in any of our communities and a great reminder to follow our infection control guidelines and to be prepared.

Thank you. Be safe. Be well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

Alberta

Up to two visitors at a time may visit residents in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living Settings.
Each visitor must be verified and be on a list provided by the resident. They will undergo a health screening prior to entering the community. This may include a temperature check or a questionnaire.
Visits must occur in the resident’s room, great room or outdoor patio when arranged with the site staff.
Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit and ensure they have cleared all of the questions on the questionnaire.
Visitors must comply with any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements which includes wearing a medical grade mask available on site, maintain social distancing of 2 meters or 6 feet and use hand sanitizer before and following visiting. No physical contact is permitted.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

You will be screened for signs and symptoms of illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.
You will need to bring a mask and wear it for the duration of your visit.
Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance where possible.

Essential Visits at Long-term and Acute Care Communities

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at long-term care and acute care communities. Essential visits are:

Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life and Medical Assistance in Dying.
Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.
Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including: Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care and existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Social visits

If there is no active COVID-19 outbreak at the community, a resident may visit with one designated visitor.

(*We can approve a change to the designated visitor under extenuating circumstances; for example, if the visitor moves away or becomes ill and is unable to visit).

Visitors must:

Book the visit in advance with staff.
Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the community.
Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.
Socialize in designated visiting areas which may include, outdoor and indoor spaces, as well as single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

October 7th

Dear Optima Living Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

The Thanksgiving season is a time for family and reflection as we say goodbye to summer and welcome a new season. While our plan is always to make Thanksgiving a special time for our residents, we do have some unfortunate news to share with you..

One staff member at the Century Park site in Vegreville, Alberta recently received a diagnosis of COVID-19. This is the first case of COVID-19 in any of our residences in British Columbia or Alberta. As would be the case at all of our sites, a pandemic plan, prepared beforehand, was immediately implemented, and AHS as well as the Medical Health Officer of the region was contacted for ongoing direction and support.

We are offering emotional support to the care partner (staff member) who has been diagnosed and are in regular contact to ensure the person is recovering well.

Century Park is making every effort to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19. Fortunately, care partners at this site do not work at other sites and we are taking steps to ensure the spread of the virus is contained. The on-site team is doing an amazing job and the care partners have stepped up to provide excellent care to residents at such an important time. As always, the health and safety of our residents and care partners will continue to guide all our actions.

Please remember that throughout Canada, the risk of infection still persists, and everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices of physical distancing, wearing a mask, and being vigilant with hand hygiene.

For our communities, each health authority has different rules or guidelines for visitation and outings, and they are summarized below. Please reach out to your site leader if you have any questions.

Dr. Hinshaw, Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health, has recorded a short video for use in outbreak training sessions for continuing care staff. The message is one of thanks to the staff working in these settings for all their hard work, and an acknowledgment of how difficult the past many months have been. Click here to download her video.

We also continue to encourage families, friends, and caregivers to stay in touch virtually where in-person visits are not possible.

Thank you. Be safe. Be well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal

Optima Living

Alberta

Up to two visitors at a time may visit residents in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living Settings.
Each visitor must be verified and be on a list provided by the resident. They will undergo a health screening prior to entering the community. This may include a temperature check or a questionnaire.
Visits must occur in the resident’s room, great room or outdoor patio when arranged with the site staff.
Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit and ensure they have cleared all of the questions on the questionnaire.
Visitors must comply with any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements which includes wearing a medical grade mask available on site, maintain social distancing of 2 meters or 6 feet and use hand sanitizer before and following visiting. No physical contact is permitted.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

You will be screened for signs and symptoms of illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.
You will need to bring a mask and wear it for the duration of your visit.
Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance where possible.

Essential Visits at Long-term and Acute Care Communities

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at long-term care and acute care communities. Essential visits are:

Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life and Medical Assistance in Dying.
Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.
Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including: Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care and 􏰁existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Social visits

If there is no active COVID-19 outbreak at the community, a resident may visit with one designated visitor.

(*We can approve a change to the designated visitor under extenuating circumstances; for example, if the visitor moves away or becomes ill and is unable to visit).

Visitors must:

Book the visit in advance with staff.
Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the community.
Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.
Socialize in designated visiting areas which may include, outdoor and indoor spaces, as well as single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

October 1st

Dear Optima Living Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

As we get ready for another great Thanksgiving season, you may be wondering what each community is doing to celebrate this year.

Please connect with your site manager in regards to what is recommended in your community and what we are doing to make sure our families and residents can stay connected and safely celebrate the season.

We are doing a fun project asking our residents and care partners what they are thankful for this season. It has brought up some amazing conversations. We would love to hear from you about what you are thankful for and what silver linings have you discovered in the midst of the pandemic.

Please email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

Remember that the risk of infection still persists and everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices of physical distancing, wearing a mask, and being vigilant with hand hygiene.

For our communities, each health authority has different rules or guidelines for visitation and outings, and they are summarized below. Please reach out to your site leader if you have any questions.

Dr. Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health, has recorded a short video for use in outbreak training sessions for continuing care staff. The message is one of thanks to the staff working in these settings for all their hard work, and an acknowledgment of how difficult the past many months have been. Click here to download her video.

We also continue to encourage families, friends, and caregivers to stay in touch virtually where in-person visits are not possible.

Thank you. Be safe. Be well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal

Optima Living

Alberta

Up to two visitors at a time may visit residents in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living Settings.
Each visitor must be verified and be on a list provided by the resident. They will undergo a health screening prior to entering the community. This may include a temperature check or a questionnaire.
Visits must occur in the resident’s room, great room or outdoor patio when arranged with the site staff.
Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit and ensure they have cleared all of the questions on the questionnaire.
Visitors must comply with any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements which includes wearing a medical grade mask available on site, maintain social distancing of 2 meters or 6 feet and use hand sanitizer before and following visiting. No physical contact is permitted.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

You will be screened for signs and symptoms of illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.
You will need to bring a mask and wear it for the duration of your visit.
Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance where possible.

Essential Visits at Long-term and Acute Care Communities

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at long-term care and acute care communities. Essential visits are:

Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life and Medical Assistance in Dying.
Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.
Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including: Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care and 􏰁existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Social visits

If there is no active COVID-19 outbreak at the community, a resident may visit with two designated visitors.

(*We can approve a change to the designated visitor under extenuating circumstances; for example, if the visitor moves away or becomes ill and is unable to visit).

Visitors must:

Book the visit in advance with staff.
Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the community.
Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.
Socialize in designated visiting areas which may include, outdoor and indoor spaces, as well as single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

September 15th

Dear Optima Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

As we transition from summer to fall, we hope you have had a chance to catch your breath and reflect on where we are at in this epic battle against COVID-19. It’s a battle that is far from over, yet we are continuously inspired and energized by the incredible efforts of our care partners (staff) every day at our communities.

We started this journey of the uncertainties that come with COVID-19 in March, and we continue to work hard every day to ensure the safety of our residents and those who care for them.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we adapt to new guidelines and welcome visitors back into our communities in a safe manner through expanded visitation programs.

Please remember that the risk of infection still persists and everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices of social distancing, wearing a mask, and hand hygiene.

For our homes, each health authority has different rules for visitation guidelines, and they are summarized below. Please reach out to your site leader if you have any questions.

We also continue to encourage families, friends, and caregivers to stay in touch virtually where in-person visits are not possible.

How To Stay Socially Connected

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

www.optimaliving.ca

Alberta

· Only one, single essential visitor at a time may visit residents in Long-Term Care, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living settings.

· Each essential visitor must be verified and undergo a health screening prior to entering the facility. This may include a temperature check and/or a questionnaire.

· Visits must occur in the resident’s room unless aiding with care activities such as mealtime.

· Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit.

· Visitors must comply with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements, including (not not limited to) masks.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

· You will be screened for signs and symptoms of any illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.

· You will need to bring a mask and wear it for the duration of your visit.

· Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance wherever possible.

Essential Visits

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at Long-Term Care and Acute Care facilities. Essential visits are:

· Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end-of-life, and Medical Assistance in Dying.

· Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.

· Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care, and 􏰁existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Unlike social visits, essential visits may not need to be scheduled in advance. A client can have more than one essential visitor but only one visitor is allowed at a time. (More than one visitor at a time may be allowed for palliative and end-of-life care.)

As per the provincial guidance, all visitors are required to: wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette), and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.

Social Visits

If there is no active COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, a resident may visit with one designated family member or friend. We can approve a change to the designated visitor under extenuating circumstances; for example, if the visitor moves away or becomes ill and is unable to visit.

Visitors must:

· Book the visit in advance with staff.

· Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the facility.

· Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.

· Socialize in designated visiting areas, which may include outdoor and indoor spaces or single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

We also continue to encourage families, friends and caregivers to stay in touch virtually where in-person visits are not possible. The safe return to activities like visitation and outings depends on all of us (residents, families, care partners, visitors) working together to keep the virus from entering our homes.

September 2nd, 2020

Dear Optima Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

We hope all of you have had an opportunity to get outdoors with the weather being so wonderful!

At Optima Living, we are constantly educating ourselves on the latest policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure our communities continue to thrive in this new world. This means balancing infection control with expanded visitation.

We know how hard this time has been for both residents and their loved ones to be physically separated. We are delighted to facilitate expanded visitation! As we welcome back loved ones in a safe and controlled way, we appreciate everyone’s patience.

Please remember that the risk of infection still persists, and everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices. Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer and British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer continue to emphasize the message of social distancing, wearing a mask, and hand hygiene as the most important actions of safe living during this time.

For our residences, each health authority has different rules for visitation guidelines. A summary of those guidelines follows. Please reach out to your site leader if you have any questions.

Alberta

· Only one, single essential visitor at a time may visit residents in Long-Term Care, Supportive Living, and other Congregate Living settings.

· Each essential visitor must be verified and undergo a health screening prior to entering the facility. This may include a temperature check and/or a questionnaire.

· Visits must occur in the resident’s room unless aiding with care activities such as mealtime.

· Visitors must be feeling well and not displaying any symptoms at the time of visit.

· Visitors must comply with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements.

British Columbia

For all visitors:

· You will be screened for signs and symptoms of any illness, including COVID-19 and possible exposure to COVID-19, prior to every visit.

· You will need to bring a mask and wear it for the duration of your visit.

· Please practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough/sneeze etiquette), and maintain two-metres of physical distance wherever possible.

Essential Visits

The essential visitor policy remains in effect at Long-Term Care and Acute Care facilities. Essential visits are:

· Visits for compassionate care such as critical illness, hospice care, end-of-life, and Medical Assistance in Dying.

· Communication assistance, and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment.

· Visits essential to patient/client care and well-being including assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care, and 􏰁existing registered volunteers providing services as described.

Unlike social visits, essential visits may not need to be scheduled in advance. A client can have more than one essential visitor but only one visitor is allowed at a time. (More than one visitor at a time may be allowed for palliative and end-of-life care.)

Social Visits

Visitors must:

· Book the visit in advance with staff.

· Be screened on every visit for respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. Visitors with symptoms are not permitted to enter the facility.

· Wear a mask, practice hand and respiratory hygiene (cough and sneeze etiquette) and maintain a two-metre physical distance where possible.

· Socialize in designated visiting areas, which may include outdoor and indoor spaces or single client rooms for those with limited mobility.

Can I still get regular medical care?

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living Communities

www.optimaliving.ca

July 20th, 2020

Dear Residents, Families, and Care Partners,

At Optima Living, we know how hard this time has been for both residents and their loved ones to be physically separated. We are delighted to facilitate expanded visitation! As we welcome back loved ones in a safe and controlled way, we appreciate everyone’s patience.

Thank you for the incredible courage, strength, and cooperation you have shown in protecting our cherished residents and those who care for them.

Our communities are experiencing such a tremendous amount of support & gratitude and we truly could not be more thankful.

Here is a thank you Chilliwack Lifestyles, an Optima Living Community in Chilliwack, received in the local newspaper.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living Communities includes infection control precautions that are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from Health Authorities and Government Officials. Everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices, including physical distancing, frequent handwashing and wearing a mask when distancing isn’t possible.

Some of our infection control precautions include:

– Universal masking for care partners

– Enhanced screening

– Limited visitor access

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities

– Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

July 7th, 2020

Dear Residents, Families, and Care Partners,

This week, BC announced new visitation guidelines for long-term care homes and seniors’ assisted living residences. At Optima Living, we know how hard this time has been for both residents and their loved ones and we are working hard to develop safe guidelines for expanded visitation. We look forward to welcoming back loved ones in a safe and controlled way and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we ensure all precautions and resources are ready.

Last week, our communities celebrated Canada Day. We are proud to be a Western Canadian Company. Canada continues to shine as one of the best countries in the world on so many levels and we love to honour and celebrate what makes Canada diverse and special—not just on July 1st, but every day.

Thank you for the incredible courage, strength and cooperation you have shown in protecting our cherished residents and those who care for them.
Here is a photo from our community managers from our newest community: Wisteria Place in Steveston, BC.

Maureen Fakaro and Gurpreet Pannu, the Community Relations team at Wisteria Place, with prospective residents celebrating Canada Day with physical distancing.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living communities includes infection control precautions that are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from health authorities and government officials. Everyone is asked to maintain their COVID-19 health practices including physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and wearing a mask.

Some of these protocols include:

– Universal masking for care partners: All care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.

– Enhanced screening for the virus: All sites are actively screening (including regular temperature checks) all care partners, essential visitors and residents according to government guidelines.

– Limited access to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.

– Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

June 29th, 2020

Dear Residents, Families, and Care Partners,

We hope you and your families are all safe and well.

Thank you for the incredible courage, strength and cooperation you have shown in protecting our cherished residents and those who care for them. As we all start to experience quarantine fatigue and loosened lockdowns, please do not forget the public health measures that have allowed us to battle the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. It’s important that all of us take personal responsibility for protecting our communities from COVID-19.

Last weekend, our communities celebrated Father’s Day. It was a little different then our past celebrations but our care partners are getting quite creative with how we honour our residents during these times.

One of our communities in Claresholm, Alberta received live music.

We are here to support and connect families.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

Some of these protocols include:

– Limited access to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.

– Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

We will prevail in this crisis and will come out of it stronger.

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

June 12th, 2020

Dear Residents, Families, and Care Partners,

We hope you and your families are all safe and well.

Thank you for the incredible courage, strength, and cooperation you have shown in protecting our cherished residents and those who care for them. As we all start to experience quarantine fatigue and loosened lockdowns, please do not forget the public health measures that have allowed us to battle the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. It’s important that all of us take personal responsibility for protecting our communities from COVID-19.

Although things are less than normal in the outside world, Optima Living is committed to maintaining a sense of normalcy within our walls. We are here to support and connect families.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

Some of these protocols include:

– Universal masking for care partners: All care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.

– Enhanced screening for the virus: All sites are actively screening (including regular temperature checks) all care partners, essential visitors and residents according to government guidelines.

– Limited access to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.

– Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

We will prevail in this crisis and will come out of it stronger.

Thank you. Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living
www.optimaliving.ca

June 2nd, 2020

Dear Residents, Families, and Care Partners:

We hope you and your families are all safe and well.

We will continue to rely on the latest science on COVID and be guided by compassion. Let’s make sure we don’t give up on the hard earned gains we have made until we are sure it is safe to do so. COVID-19 has certainly challenged us and continues to do so, but with our collective efforts we will prevail through this marathon and will come out of it stronger.

Shout out!

Shout out to our friends at Cubii, makers of Under Desk Elliptical machines, for generously donating equipment to our communities. As you can see below, these amazing little units are helping residents remain active and healthy during this time of physical distancing.

We are here to support and connect families

Is your loved one celebrating a birthday? Let us know how we can help make it special. Friends and families are encouraged to stay in touch and to use the iPads that are available for residents.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

Some of these protocols include:

– Limited access to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities. – Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

May 25th, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Care Partners:

We hope you and your families are all safe and well.

Although things are less than normal in the outside world, Optima Living Communities are committed to maintaining a sense of normal within our walls.

We are here to support and connect families

Is your loved one celebrating a birthday? Let us know how we can help make it special. Friends and families are encouraged to stay in touch and to use the iPads that are available for residents.

Let’s Continue to Stay Safe:

Some of these protocols include:

– Limited access to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.

– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.

– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.

– Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

May 15th, 2020

We are thankful for the compassion and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents. Many of our Optima Living Communities celebrated Mother’s Day with creative ways to connect residents with their loved ones as part of outdoor visits.

Optima Living remains vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve and protect our residents and those who care for them.

We are also grateful to the many care partners who as mothers themselves celebrated with moms at Optima Living!

We are here to support and connect families

Friends and families are encouraged to stay in touch and to use the iPads that are available for residents.

Staying Safe:
COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living Communities

Infection control precautions are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from Health Authorities and Government Officials.

Some of these protocols include:

Universal masking for care partners: All care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.
Enhanced screening for the virus: All sites are actively screening (including regular temperature checks) all care partners, essential visitors and residents according to government guidelines.
Limited to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care. Arrangements for outdoor visits are available at all sites.
Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

May 7th, 2020

We are thankful for the compassion and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents. Optima Living Communities remain vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve and protect our residents and those who care for them.

COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living

Infection control precautions are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from Health Authorities and Government Officials.

Some of these protocols include:

Universal masking for care partners: Effective immediately, all care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.
Enhanced screening for the virus: According to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents.
Limited to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care.– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.
We are here to support and connect families

iPads are available for residents to communicate with friends and families.

Many of our Optima Living Communities are busy planning innovative ways for you to connect with your loved ones during Mother’s Day

Please contact us to find out how we are supporting families socially engage with their loved ones

Optima Living would love to see the creative ways you connect during the weekend. Please email [email protected] your photos and stories for us to share on social media, as this brings smiles and uplifts us all.

Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal

Optima Living

May 3rd, 2020

COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living Communities

Infection control precautions are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Provincial Medical Health Officers, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some of these protocols include:

Universal masking for care partners: Effective immediately, all care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.
Enhanced screening for the virus: According to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents.
Limited to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care.
Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

We are here to support and connect families

If your loved one needs help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. iPads are available for residents to communicate with friends and families.

Mother’s Day

As this special day is coming up, we wanted to ensure that family members were able socially engage while maintaining physical distancing measures.

We look forward to arranging for a virtual meet up with your loved one. Please reach out for specific events planned at each location.

Be Safe. Be Well.

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 27, 2020

Optima Living remains vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve and protect our residents and those who care for them. We are thankful for the compassion and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents.

COVID-19 Prevention at Optima Living Communities

Universal masking for care partners: Effective immediately, all care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.
Enhanced screening for the virus: According to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents.
Limited to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care.– Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

We are here to support and connect families

If your loved one needs help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. iPads are available for residents to communicate with friends and families.

Warm Wishes

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 22, 2020

Optima Living remains vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve. We are thankful for the compassion and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents.

COVID-19 prevention at Optima Living

Necessary infection control precautions are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Provincial Medical Health Officers, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Some of these protocols include:
Universal masking for care partners: Effective immediately, all care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike.
Enhanced screening for the virus: According to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents.
Limited to essential visitors only: At all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care.
Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.

Generous donation of 5000 face masks

Thank you to SGP who donated these masks! ‘We own and manage over 130 Senior Care residences in Canada and are intimately connected to the industry and have become known as the purchasing network of choice and opportunity, delivering the best quality and value through people, products and technology to the Seniors’ market. We were happy to be able to contribute to your PPE supplies in a small way, to continue to support our longtime Partner, Optima Living. We wish all continued health and safety through these challenging times, said Jason Horne, Senior Director at SGP.

We are here to support and connect families

If your loved one needs help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. iPads are available for residents to communicate with friends and families.

We offer places to engage in the community during this time of isolation.

Warm Wishes

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 19, 2020

Optima Living remains vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve. We are incredibly thankful for the compassion and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents.

COVID-19 prevention at all Optima Living residences:

All necessary infection control precautions are being taken in each of our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Provincial Medical Health Officers, and the World Health Organization. Some of these protocols include:

Enhanced screening for the virus according to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents
Limited to essential visitors only at all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care
Infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak
Universal masking for care partners who provide direct or indirect care within 2 meters of a resident wear a surgical mask. This will help us reduce the potential spread of the virus by providing an added layer of protection for care partners and residents alike

We Thank You

Thank you to our many partners and friends, who are reaching out to our care providers and ensuring their spirits are uplifted and that our residents know that they are being well thought of outside of their community.

Here is a photo taken at our West Vancouver Care Centre community, where a bagpiper serenaded our residents and care partners.

We are here to support and connect families.

If your loved one needs help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. iPads are available for residents to communicate with friends and families.

Warm Wishes

Farid Damji | Co-Founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 15th, 2020

Optima Living remains vigilant in our efforts to #FlattenTheCurve and we are so incredibly thankful for the incredible attention and clinical support our care partners provide everyday to our residents.

What Optima Living is doing to help prevent COVID-19 in our residences

We are taking all necessary infection control precautions in our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Provincial Chief Medical Health Officer, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some of these protocols include:

Enhanced screening for the virus according to government guidelines for all care partners, essential visitors and residents
Visitors at all sites from Independent Living to Long Term Care being limited to essential visitors only
Ensuring infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all facilities
Ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment are available in each facility in case of an outbreak

We want to thank many of our partners and friends, who are reaching out to our care providers and ensuring their spirits are uplifted and that our residents know that they are being well thought of outside of their community.

We want to share a few ways that you can practice gratitude during this time in hopes to uplift your spirits to continue with this isolation with strength and kindness to yourself.

Practicing Gratitude

List 3 things you are grateful for each day
1. Write someone a letter or an email giving them thanks
2. Smile
3. Remain positive

Warm Wishes,

Farid Damji | Co-founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 12th, 2020 – COVID-19 Update

We would like to wish our care partners, residents and resident’s families a Happy Easter.

We understand that with our Physical Distancing measures, this season is hard for families to connect in person.

Isolation is difficult for everyone but especially seniors, and we want to make sure each person feels like they are not alone. We have made arrangements at each community for residents to facetime or video chat with their families and friends. Please know our site managers and care partners are more than happy to assist you in connecting with your loved ones.

What is Optima Living doing to help prevent COVID-19 in our residences?

The health and safety of our resident and those who care for them is our top priority. At all Optima communities, we are taking enhanced infection control precautions in our residences and offices, including implementing all recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Chief Medical Officer, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Some of these protocols include:

Enhanced screening for the virus according to government guidelines
Ensuring infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all facilities
Ensuring adequate supplies are available in each facility in case of an outbreak

Thank You

We want to thank many of you, who are reaching out to our residents and care partners to ensure their spirits are uplifted. From donations of fresh flowers for our residents to special videos for the staff, we appreciate the countless ‘Thank You’ messages we have received. We encourage you to share your stories by sending in any photos or videos you may have to [email protected], so we can share these heartfelt messages with our Optima family.

If there is anything we can do for you and your loved ones during this difficult time, please let us know. We are continually providing updates and resources through our social media. We encourage you to follow our social media platforms for more updates, positive stories, and online events.

We are all in this together, and together we will overcome this.

Warm Wishes,

Farid Damji | Co-founder & Principal
Optima Living

April 8, 2020

The health and safety of our residents, their families and that of our care partners, is our top priority at Optima Living Communities. Our dedicated care partners are taking the necessary preventive precautions while continuing to provide compassionate and quality care to our cherished residents.

We are working closely with our public health experts and constantly monitoring and complying with all recommendations from federal and provincial health officials.

Protocols to protect

Enhanced screening for the virus according to government guidelines.
Ensuring infection control and outbreak plans are in place and ready to activate.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation, particularly of high-touch areas, in all communities.
Ensuring adequate supplies are available in each facility in case of an outbreak.
Residents and family members will continue to receive regular communication regarding COVID-19 as the situation further develops. Any resident or family member who has concerns or questions may contact their respective residence.

With Easter weekend fast approaching, our communities have been connecting with others while social distancing by colouring Easter Eggs to put in their windows/doorways. In addition, we have iPads at every site ready for families and friends to reunite this long weekend. Please reach out and we can schedule a time with your loved one.

We have attached a colouring sheet to this update, if you want to print, colour and share with others over the Easter weekend.

It has been heartwarming and uplifting to see how others are choosing to connect with our communities, and we would love to see more.

Please send photos to [email protected]

These protocols are essential to protect our communities, but they create the risk of another problem: loneliness.

Research shows loneliness negatively affects seniors’ mental and physical health, said Roger Wong, a geriatrics doctor and advocate for better seniors’ care.

“The question becomes, ‘How do we look at social distancing to protect seniors physically but still engage them socially?’” said Wong, a University of Alberta alumnus who is now executive associate dean and a clinical professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

We encourage families to find ways to virtually connect with their loved ones during this time.

Thank you!

April 1, 2020

During this time of physical distancing, when many extra precautions are necessary to protect our residents and those who care for them, we are also reminded how important it is to remain connected.

Last weekend at Cottonwood Village in Claresholm, Alberta, our community had the great honour for our resident, Ken, to connect with his granddaughter on her wedding day. He is one proud Grandfather.

All Optima Living Communities are following procedures as directed by the Public Health Officers in Alberta & BC, limiting access to essential personnel only and increasing infection control measures.

Staying in touch

Our care partners are being creative to help families remain in touch. We have recently introduced Virtual Coffee Time.

It’s a way for interested Seniors to enjoy a refreshment of your choice while connecting and tuning into our Topics for Discussion. In these online community talks, participants will receive helpful information and resources that can best support Seniors in living vibrantly, under any circumstances, including what we are dealing with right now in response to COVID-19.

Warm Wishes

Optima Living Team

March 29, 2020

Optima Living continues to be vigilant about protecting the wellness and health of our residents and employees. We are adhering to all protocols established by the Provincial health officers in Alberta and B.C.

The team at Optima Living is grateful for the support and leadership of our site leaders and partners who are tirelessly working every day to take care of the residents. Seniors have the best protection in seniors living communities as protocols are being followed and residents are ensured to have the best care and attention.

THANK YOU to the families of our residents who have shown an outpouring of support. We are encouraged by this short video developed by the family of on our residents in honor of the team that is taking care of their loved one at our independent living community at Chilliwack Lifestyles in B.C. https://youtu.be/rJ4Mw38y7a4

Optima Living is offering physical distancing socialization opportunities to continue to connect with others while isolating.

Physical distancing is key if we are going to #flattenthecurve.

Farid Damji
Co-Founder & Principal

March 25, 2020

Our communities are dedicated to remaining healthy and safe in spite of the current COVID-19 virus.

This is taking place by limiting access to essential services only, and visitors and persons who arrive to the community are being heavily screened. In addition, to enhanced screening for the virus according to government guidelines, we have infection control and outbreak plans in place, have enhanced cleaning and sanitation (particularly of high-touch areas), and ensured adequate emergency and outbreak supplies are available in each community

Thank you to our staff who have been diligently working around the clock to ensure our communities remain protected, while finding ways for our families to remain in touch. We have received many photos and uplifting messages, and we encourage you to continue to share them. They are tremendously encouraging to our staff.

Many in our community have particular needs that, in light of the current Coronavirus situation, may have become slightly jeopardized. The team at Aster Gardens understands this very well. As we always keep the wellbeing of our community at the forefront of our minds, we’ve assembled a list of resources that you may find useful.

If there is anything we can do for you and your loved ones during this time, please let us know. We are continually providing updates and resources through our social media. We encourage you to follow our social media for more updates & positive stories as well as online events.

Wishing you all safety & health