Over 40 nurses from across the Lower Mainland have said they are willing to provide extra help at North Vancouver’s Lynn Valley Care Centre, which has been the centre of a coronavirus outbreak.
But those volunteers come with conditions – that all nurses working in the long-term care facility have access to specialized N95 masks.
Up to now, B.C.'s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has indicated that the N95 masks – which block out 95 per cent of airborne particles – weren’t needed for nurses working in the facility, said Christine Sorensen, president of the BC Nurses' Union.
“But because of such widespread contamination in that facility and so many people infected, we have taken the position that the highest level of protection is required for these nurses. And we have asked that N95 masks be provided for the nurses,” said Sorensen.
Sorensen said allowing nurses to have access to N95 masks at the facility was a condition of the union finding more staff who could potentially be called up to work at the care centre.
Currently it’s not known how many of those nurses will actually be available to the Lynn Valley Care Centre as those people would also have to be released from their current health-care job sites to go to Lynn Valley Care Centre.
Health-care staff that work at the centre are not permitted to work at any other sites, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Family members of residents told the North Shore News there have been some improvements to staffing levels in recent days but they are still not adequate.
“It’s way too much for one nurse to manage or even two nurses,” said the daughter of one elderly woman in care.
“They still are not equipped to manage this outbreak.”
In an emailed statement, Carrie Stefanson, spokeswoman for Vancouver Coastal Health, said staff at the care centre “are working round the clock to meet the residents’ needs and we know they are going above and beyond to provide care. We are working with the operator to increase on-site staff including the number of nurses, care aides and kitchen staff. Additional cleaning staff have been added during the day, as well as additional cleaners in the evening for overnight deep cleaning.”
The news of possible help came Monday as Dr. Bonnie Henry reported the death of another resident at the North Vancouver care home.
That brings the total number of Lynn Valley Care Centre residents who have died of COVID-19 to 10.
There are currently 36 elderly residents and 19 health care workers – many of them care aides – at the facility who have tested positive for the virus and more testing of residents is underway.
Five other care homes in the Lower Mainland are also affected.
“We know people in long-term care are most vulnerable,” said Henry.
To try to stop the spread of the outbreak, visitors are not being allowed at most care homes. Care workers are also being screened for symptoms as they come into work every day and are being provided instructions on the use of protective equipment including gowns, gloves and masks.
