After surviving a bout with COVID, a resident of Langley Lodge passed away this week of dementia.
The downtown Langley long-term care home has been plagued during the past few months with the potentially dead coronavirus, which claimed the lives of 24 residents.
But the latest death at the Lodge on Tuesday was not a direct result, explained chief executive officer Debra Hauptman.
“An elder with advanced dementia overcame their acute COVID illness, but due to the cumulative burden of underlying illnesses, the elder succumbed to dementia,” she said. “We extend our condolences to the spouse and family of the resident, knowing that it has been a difficult time for them.”
In the meantime, the centre is still under outbreak orders, although precautions are being lifted bit by bit, and Hauptman expects the declaration to be lifted late next week by the medical health officer for Fraser Health.
“This has been a very long outbreak process. All of the staff and residents are anxious for this announcement next week,” she shared in a weekly update today.
” We are proceeding in a way that will protect our residents and our staff from new community transmission of the virus. This will require very gradual implementation and close monitoring,” she said, offering some assurances as limited recreational activities with two to four residents are being permitted.
“As Canada Day is coming up, and Langley Lodge usually hosts an annual concert in the courtyard, arrangements have been made for Paramount – a local musical duo – to entertain the residents from our courtyard on Tuesday,” Hauptman shared.
Residents will be able to enjoy this mini concert from their home area balcony or room window, while light refreshments are served.
That said, visiting restrictions for this and other long-term care homes are still in place under the provincial order.
“We understand the government is working on visitation protocols for long term care homes and we will share that information with families as it becomes available,” Hauptman said.
This long-term care home, with about 140 residents and 150 staff, is owned by the Langley Care Society.
This latest outbreaks in the 204th Street facility was reported on April 28, during which 51 residents were diagnosed with COVID, two dozen of whom died. There were 27 residents who recovered and there are no new or active cases. There were also 15 staff (two from Fraser Health) reportedly diagnosed with the virus. There are no staff fatalities reported.
This was the second outbreak at Langley Lodge, and the one with the largest number of fatalities in the province.
The first outbreak at the Lodge was reported when a staff member was diagnosed at the end of March. That outbreak was declared over on April 23.
Also at the end of March, another outbreak was reported at a different care home in Langley. That one was reportedly a health worker from Chartwell Independent Living’s Langley Gardens in Walnut Grove who was diagnosed, but has since recovered.
Since then, there has also been a reported outbreak of COVID-19 in a patient transferred in to Maple Hill Care Centre at the Langley Memorial Hospital. That outbreak was declared June 15.
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