Families separated from loved ones during recent tragedies in Saskatchewan believe new visitation rules could spare others from their pain.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) announced Wednesday that long-term care homes and hospitals can immediately begin applying more expansive rules to allow additional family members to visit a broader range of patients. They should be in place across the province within a week.
Sue Nimegeers, an SHA patient/family advisor whose mother died alone under the previous restrictions, said she’s “thrilled with the changes.”
Her large family had to take turns, one at a time, visiting their mother during the last 10 days of her life. None of them were by her side when she died in Weyburn in April.
“I feel like the changes totally reflect the concerns that we had,” said Nimegeers, who consulted with an expert panel on the new policies. “If this was the rules two months ago, it would have made our experience a thousand times better.”
Under the previous restrictions, which were first put into place in March and updated in late April, only one healthy visitor could be admitted to a facility at a given time. Even then, visits were limited to patients with a high risk of death or facing challenges with mobility, hearing, vision or memory impairment.
The new rules allow up to two visitors at once for end-of-life care, intensive care and critical care — even when there is a lower risk of death. That includes one designated visitor, who must remain the same, as well as a second visitor who can rotate between different family members or support people.
Accompanied children can also attend. A single visitor is also allowed for major surgeries.
In long-term care homes, visits will no longer be assessed purely on care needs. “Unmet quality of life needs” will also be considered, and guidelines for less restrictive outdoor visits have been created.
Visitors will be provided with masks and required to wear them while inside all SHA facilities. They will also face health screening, including a temperature check and questionnaire.
The SHA also clarified the kinds of disabilities under which patients can be accompanied for inpatient, outpatient and emergency care. For the first time, the SHA specified that “mental health disability” could be included.
The uncle of Samwel Uko, the 20-year-old who was found dead in Wascana Lake last month, welcomed the announcement as a first step in the right direction. According to the family, Uko’s cousin was not able to accompany him when he went to the Regina General Hospital in a mental health crisis.
Justin Paul, Uko’s uncle, said the health system failed his nephew. He believes the new guidelines, had they been in place at the time, would have helped.
“Even though they are saying they did not take his situation into account, deep inside them they know,” he said in a Facebook conversation with the Leader-Post. “Otherwise, what a surprise announcement.”
But SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said Uko’s death had little if anything to do with the change, as the case remains under investigation.
He said the SHA is trying to find the “right balance between physical safety, mental health, and well being.
“We have heard from many, many people from across this province of the hardships that have been created by the absolute lockdown of long-term care facilities and our ICU… And we know that we need to start opening up because that is not sustainable,” said Livingstone.
He pointed to low COVID-19 case numbers and the management of outbreaks across the province to account for the decision. The Health Ministry announced just one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday. There are now just 34 active cases province-wide.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili said the SHA appears to be taking a “responsible approach,” though he argued that the change is an implicit admission that short resources in the health system have made family support indispensable.
“I’m happy to see this going forward in a sensible way,” he said.
Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory supported what she called a “gradual approach.” She understands how difficult recent months have been for families.
Zambory expects implementation could create an added workload for health care professionals, but said nurses are “up to the challenge.”
Health workers push for wage top-up
Barb Cape, the president of SEIU-West, said her members are worried about what the changes to family visitation could mean for them. She said little information has been shared so far. According to Cape, health sector workers bear the brunt of anger when visitors have to be turned away. They want to know the details.
Livingstone said many “nuances” are still being worked out, given the 270 facilities that need to be considered.
“We don’t see that there is going to be a process of arguments,” he said. “We hope the process is flexible.”
The SHA later shared detailed flow charts with the Leader-Post to guide decision making around visitation, both in long-term care and acute care.
Cape represents 11,000 health sector workers in both hospitals and long-term care settings. Some of them, like food workers, start out making around $18 per hour. In a joint petition with two other health sector unions, SEIU-West called for them to receive the wage top-up being provided to other essential workers.
She said none of her members in acute care settings are receiving the $400 per month top-up the provincial government announced in April.
Yet Cape argued that they are facing increased pressures due to enhanced cleaning protocols and the added work of setting up COVID-specific units.
“There’s just a million details that front-line health care workers have had to shift their thinking toward, in addition to the work they normally have to do,” she said.
SEIU-West has been without a contract for years. In April 2019, members rejected a proposal with no retroactive wage increases for two years.
