Dear Families,

On behalf of our Senior Leadership team and all our staff, I offer a most sincere thank you and wish to express how much we appreciate your support and understanding during these difficult times.

No matter where we turn in life there are risks, we know they are not going away and we need to implement safety practices to manage them. Clearly, this is the case with COVID-19; we acknowledge the risks, we assess the risks, implement measures to address the risks and acknowledge there will always be a risk.

Ongoing discussions with colleagues at other homes and Provincial Infection Prevention and Control staff repeatedly stress that COVID will get in to the Home when we are less than 6’ apart and we remove our masks to eat, drink or chat. This is called a “gap in masking” and we simply cannot afford any gaps in masking!

DCG Visitation: Phase 1 – starting Monday, Feb. 7, 2002

• Substitute Decision Maker will appoint 1 current DCG in Phase 1 by notifying the Screening Team at front.screener@rkmacdonald.ca or by calling 902-870-3458 [daily between 9am and 7pm] prior to your initial visit
• Open to visitation seven (7) days a week from 11:00am to 5:00pm
• Wash your hands regularly when visiting
• Keep your mask over your nose and mouth at all times- visits will be suspended if this is not followed 
• Please do not bring food or drinks to the Home as it creates a “gap in masking” opportunity. Feel welcome to bring treats for your family member
• On arrival, DCG’s will be provided with a mask for themselves and second mask for their family member resident – we strongly recommend residents wear a mask during the visit
• No switching DCG’s
• Visits to take place in the residents room with the door open to support proper mask wearing
• New resident DCG’s will be provided with the Infection Prevention and Control in-service prior to their initial visit
• Please do not visit the Home if you are feeling unwell or are a close contact of a COVID +ve individual
• If you become unwell and test positive for COVID-19 after visiting, please let us know immediately by calling 902-714-5656
• Phase I will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks

We are learning to live with COVID-19 and feel the layers of safety we have put in place will enable us to manage any COVID-19 situation. On behalf of our Residents, Senior Leadership team and all our staff, we welcome you back to the RK!

Kindest personal regards, Terry MacIntyre, CEO

On behalf of the Senior Leader Team at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home it is our pleasure to welcome Miles Tompkins who has joined our team in a Term position as Physiotherapist on Monday January 24, 2022.  We look forward to Miles insights, contributions and feedback in his new role at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home.

On behalf of the Senior Leader Team at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home it is our pleasure to welcome Lee Kelly who will joined our team as the Director of Clinical Services starting Monday January 10, 2022.  Lee will oversee the Nursing & Rehab Departments. We look forward to Lee’s insights, contributions and feedback in her new role at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home.   

Dear Families,

DCG / Visitor Restriction Notice:

Most importantly I wish to clarify the RK is not experiencing any form of a COVID-19 outbreak. However, due to the growing number of positive cases in our community, the Home will be closed to all DCG visitation [with the exception of compassionate visits] effective 9:00am, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. The primary reason for this restriction is that we have the ability to manage our staff with screening, masking, rapid testing and an effective communication process, unfortunately we are unable to manage our visitors in the same manner which increases the likelihood of COVID-19 getting a foothold in the Home.

At this point your loved ones are safe and being cared for by a staff that is second to none!

We will keep you informed of any changes to this DCG / visitor restriction.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and support through this challenging pandemic.  

Terry MacIntyre, CEO

Merry Christmas everyone,

Update: We are following up with a COVID-19 positive staff member and are working with both Public Health and Occupational Health Safety and Wellness and have implemented all cautionary measures. Our residents and staff are all vaccinated and continue to be symptom free. Public Health has advised us to swab the residents of Maple Ridge / Brambleberry and this is happening as we speak.

As an ongoing cautionary measure, we will continue to restrict visitor access to Maple Ridge / Brambleberry and ask that if you have access to a rapid test kit, please do the test within 24 hours of your visit.  

We will provide regular updates to ensure everyone is kept in the loop!

Take care and enjoy your day!

Terry MacIntyre

CEO

RK MacDonald Nursing Home

1-902-863-2578  ext. 272

Dear Designated Care Givers,

I wish to acknowledge your ongoing support of the safety precautions we have implemented here at the RK – greatly appreciated!

Respecting the continued presence of COVID-19 in our local community, the RK is extending the following president safety measures:

• Visitation: in order to reduce foot traffic in the Home, only a resident’s DCG’s are permitted to visit the Home – can you please notify other family members / friends of this restriction
• Mask wearing: visitors must not remove their masks at any time during your visit and we ask that you only visit with your loved one
• Offsite visits: continued restriction for offsite resident outings
• Symptoms: All DCG visitors to are encouraged to get tested even if you experience mild symptoms
• Rapid testing: it is strongly recommend that DCG visitors complete a rapid test within 24 hours of your visit.
• Staff: screening is ongoing, we are providing rapid testing kits x 2 weekly for staff, continue to promote mask wearing, hand hygiene and are asking any staff that may have been in a high exposure site to get tested  

Although our residents are fully vaccinated and have received their booster, we feel the above measures are necessary to help keep them safe during this community outbreak.

Take care everyone,

Terry MacIntyre, CEO

Dear Designated Care Providers,

In response to the presence of COVID-19 in our local community, the RK is taking the following precautions to protect our residents:

• Offsite visits: Restricting off site resident visits for a 2 week period
• Visitation: in order to reduce foot traffic in the Home, for the next 2 weeks we ask that only DCG’s to visit the Home – can you please notify other family members / friends to please not visit for the next 2 weeks
• High Risk Areas: Advising all staff and visitors to visit https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirus-exposures?title=&field_covid_exposure_zone_value=Eastern and if you were in one of these high risk areas to please get tested.
• Staff: screening is ongoing, we are providing rapid testing kits, continue to promote mask wearing, hand hygiene and are asking any staff that may have been in a high exposure site to get tested  
• Baked goods: we certainly always appreciate the kindness of our residents’ family members – if you bring Christmas treats to the home to share with residents / staff, please ensure the treats are wrapped individually

Although our residents are fully vaccinated and have received their booster, we feel the above measures are necessary to help keep them safe during this community outbreak.

The Board of Directors of the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry MacIntyre as Permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective November 15, 2021.

The Chronicle Herald, a part of the Saltwire network, recently featured the RK MacDonald’s on-going hiring drive.

The RK is currently looking to fill positions in nursing, especially CCAs, as well as housekeeping, dietary and custodial care, as the nation-wide staffing shortage for front-line healthcare workers is also impacting Nova Scotia.

As well as helping fill healthcare gaps, working at the RK in Antigonish is a good decision overall, says RK Human Resources Coordinator Jacqueline Delorey.

“Our team takes great pride in our home and the services we provide to our residents. We are looking to hire people who share our passion for respectful care, and whose values align with the Core Values C.A.R.E.S. (Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Safety),” says Delorey. “We are also looking for people who want to give back to their community.”

You can read the full article online here.

If you are interested in a career with the RK MacDonald, you can view the current job postings here: www.rkmacdonald.ca/category/current-opportunities

Update for Oct. 7, 2021

Re: Phase 5 Visitation Update

Dear Residents, family and Friends of the RK,

*New proof of vaccination required*

On Wednesday, September 29^th, 2021, the Premier of Nova Scotia and Dr. Robert Strang announced a new government policy that will take effect Monday Octo. 4^th , 2021. The new policy now requires mandatory vaccination for all staff and visitors to protect our most vulnerable populations form the Delta Variant of COVID-19.

Effective immediately:

• All general visitors [family friends, volunteers, vendors, contractors, etc.] to the RK MacDonald Nursing Home must be doubly vaccinated and present proof of vaccination at the Screening Desk effective Oct. 4^th , 2021. All Designated Care Givers are required to be doubly vaccinated and present proof of vaccination effective Nov. 30^th, 2021.
• Residents may not leave the facility with visitors that are not fully vaccinated. This does not include designated care givers.
• All LTC residents throughout the province may leave their facility to participate in activities in the community. All residents may attend overnight visits except when the overnight visit will occur in the central zone. This means residents of any zone (including central zone) may attend overnight visits that occur outside the central zone.
• Medical masks continue to be mandatory for all visitors, designated care givers and staff. At all times during the visit, visitors must ensure the mask covers their mouth and nose. If staff notice your mask is not covering your face, they will say “mask up please” as a reminder.

This government policy applies to various sectors in Nova Scotia. More specifically, it includes all workers, professionals and volunteers in licensed and unlicensed long term care facilities and it also applies to all visitors entering long term care facilities.  However, if you have NOT received a COVID-19 vaccine OR have only received one dose of any two-dose COVID-19 regime then you are not fully vaccinated and, unfortunately, are not be permitted to enter the RK.

As a Home, we recognize the importance of family and friends as a key component in quality of life. However, respecting safety as a core value here at the RK, our number one priority remains the safety of our residents and our staff. We ask for your patience and cooperation with these new public health measures.

Stay safe, get vaccinated and follow basic public health measures – we’ll be okay!