| Ministry of Long-Term Care | Ministère des Soins de longue durée |
| Office of the Deputy Minister | Bureau du sous-ministre |
| 400 University Ave. 6 th FloorToronto ON M5G 1S5Tel.: 416 325-6200 | 400, av. University, 6 e étageToronto ON M5G 1S5Tél. : 416 325-6200 |
| Sept 11, 2020 |
TO: Long-Term Care Home Licensees:
RE: COVID-19 Wave 2 Preparedness Results
Thank you for your continued commitment and collaboration in the fight against COVID-19.
Further to my July 31 st memo , “Working Together for COVID - 19 Wave 2 Preparedness”, I am writing to:
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Update you on the preparedness assessment results, and
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Remind you of Licensees ’ requirements around ensuring a safe and secure environment for residents.
Long- Term Care Homes’ Preparedness Assessments
Thank you for conducting the preparedness assessment planning exercises. The results are expected to help homes with emergency preparedness and outbreak prevention and management and will further inform provincial and regional initiatives to support the sector through future COVID-19 waves. As the results are reviewed and analyzed, homes that have not completed the preparedness assessments or identified critical gaps will be contacted to determine required actions and timelines.
The preparedness assessments focused on the areas of human resources, infection, prevention and control (IPAC) and partnerships and sustained operations.
Results indicate that:-
Planning exercises helped strengthen regional and local partnerships across the homes and health system partners.
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Systemic staffing challenges and availability of health care professionals (including personal support workers) are key gaps.
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IPAC capacity and training requires ongoing focus and action.
I trust that each licensee is actively following up to address the gaps identified through this exercise and for those that are part of a chain are sharing and discussing these results with corporate offices.
Long- Term Care Homes’ Responsibilities around Ensuring a Safe and Secure Environment
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of your responsibilities pertaining to ensuring a safe and secure environment for your residents (s. 5, LTCHA).