SASKATOON -- A Saskatoon woman is calling for changes related to distancing in seniors homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brenda Braaten said she’s worried residents at a private seniors home are not being protected from the virus. That includes her 86-year-old father with dementia who lives at Trinity Manor in Stonebridge.
"They continue to have all of their meals, three a day, in a dining room, are doing no social distancing whatsoever, it's business as usual. There's over 100 all dining together in the dining room,” she said.
This comes after the Saskatchewan government limited public and private gatherings to no more than 10 people in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Essential services like hospitals and seniors homes remain open.
The Ministry of Health said all citizens and facilities within the province are required to ensure two metres of space between each person.
It also said cafeterias can remain open but must ensure there are two metres of distancing between tables, meaning one person per table.
Braaten said she doesn’t believe Trinity Manor is following this.
“They are incredibly putting these people in danger and I'm so frustrated and angry right now. These are senior citizens who have. many of them, underlying health issues, my father included. If he were to get this, the likelihood of him surviving is probably very thin,” she said.
Trinity Manor CEO Suzanne Turmel said she sympathizes with families who are concerned, but said there are a number of measures in place to protect residents.
That includes having no visitors come into the building, quarantining residents who have a cold or any symptoms of COVID-19 and giving residents the option to get meals delivered to their rooms.
Turmel said she doesn’t feel it’s necessary to shut down the dining hall and restrict people to their rooms at this time.
Residents are also still allowed to go out, but are encouraged not to.
"Very concerned for our father and his health and everyone in there because if one person gets this, it's going to spread like wildfire,” Braaten said.