Image Credit: Contributed

By Amandalina Letterio

COVID-19

Seniors feeling lonely as Kamloops battles COVID-19 outbreaks at care homes

Sep 3, 2021 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Seniors Village and The Hamlets at Westsyde long-term care homes have closed their doors to visitors as they battle COVID-19 outbreaks.

Les Lambert drops off food and gifts at the entrance of The Hamlets for his 88 year-old-mother.

“I worry about her. I worry about what she’s feeling and the loneliness. When we talk on the phone, you know, ‘Where are you guys?’ ‘We just can’t come in,’ and you know, that’s COVID,” he explained.

Lambert says he has seen his mother deteriorate since the pandemic hit, but when care home restrictions lifted — so did her spirits. But now, she’s back on a lockdown.

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“People talking to each other through the windows. We have to do that again. It affected her I think a little mentally. I think it’s affected all people mentally that are in homes where they can’t see their family,” Lambert said.

Interior Health has not specified how the infections are getting into the care homes.

“One of the most important measures that we can do to protect the population, in particularly the folks who are in these facilities that are more vulnerable is having less contact with people who are not fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Carol Fenton, medical health officer at Interior Health.

But the CEO of the BC Care Providers Association believes he knows how the virus is being transmitted.

“COVID is largely getting into care homes through unvaccinated staff and people that don’t have any symptoms,” explained Terry Lake.

One step in that direction is the province’s recent mandate for longterm care staff to be vaccinated by October 12 — but Lake says that should have already happened.

“I believe that’s too late. We can see with 17 outbreaks in longterm care and assisted living throughout British Columbia, it’s very evident that the immunity is waning in these residents that were vaccinated very early on in 2021,” he said.

Lake adds that vaccinated visitors are also crucial in keeping care home doors open, so families can visit their loved ones.

“I tell her to be tough, we are pretty close,” said Lambert. “She says, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be tough.’ I say, ‘We’re all going to be tough. We’re going to get through this again. We’re going to go for fish and chips when we can.’ She likes that.”