March 17, 2020
Dear family member,
I am writing you on behalf of The Participation House Project (Durham Region) with regard to the necessary safeguards that we are having to put in place to address the Covid-19 Pandemic.
As some of you may already be aware we have cancelled all non-essential services the agency provides until such time that it is safe to provide those services again. We have been closely monitoring the direction of our funding Ministry, and as of today we have been advised to begin the implementation of only allowing essential visitors onsite. We have been provided with a toolkit that includes a screening checklist and signage indicating our position with respect to visitors at this time.
Given the need for social distancing and limiting contact with others in order to control the continued spread of this virus, we are asking that you respect our decision to limit the number of visitors to only support staff. We have taken a number of precautions and have put practices in place to minimize the movement the staff providing service within the agency as well. Should you feel it necessary to have your loved one wait out this period of social distancing with you, we will gladly support you to make this happen.
We are planning on keeping our website and social media channels up to date with whatever is happening within the organization. Please refer to the website to keep yourself apprised. Should you have further questions/concerns with respect to how we are handling this pandemic, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at tmcgarry@nullphdurham.com or by phone 905 579-5270.
As of today, we will also be directing the staff supporting your family member and your family member, that anything activities other than walks outside in the community will cease until such time that it is safe to do so. We recognize that this will no doubt be difficult for a number of people who are used to being out and about in their communities. Personal safety and the safety of others has to take precedence at this time. It is our hope that you can appreciate and respect this decision.
At this time, I wish you and your family nothing but good health and safety while weathering through this crisis.
Kind Regards,
Tracy McGarry – Director of Quality Assurance & Community Development
CC: Sharri-Ann Edmunds, Director of Operations