WINNIPEG A Winnipeg man who launched a human rights complaint against the Health Sciences Centre after being denied a caregiver while in hospital says new changes to visitation rules in Manitoba hospitals are a step in the right direction, but more clarity is needed. Shared Health told CTV News it is modifying its hospital visitor guidelines to allow patients to identify one essential care partner. Under the guidelines, this essential care partner will be allowed to be with the patient in certain circumstances, such as helping them with communication, care planning, and decision-making, and in cases where a patient normally has constant care.
WINNIPEG Acute care facilities in Manitoba will soon allow patients to identify one essential caregiver to accompany patients under new changes to hospital visitation rules. Lanette Siragusa, the chief nursing officer with shared Health, made the announcement during the province’s COVID-19 briefing on Monday. “Last month, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute shared with us a national policy guideline, where it looked at the role of essential caregivers, and we have used this guideline to update our visitor guidelines in acute care to ensure that our quality is always the best it can possibly be,” she said. Under the new guidance, patients can identify one “essential care partner” to provide in-person physical, psychological, and emotional support for them, Siragusa said.
Manitoba health officials gave the province an early Christmas gift of sorts Dec. 21 - the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in almost two months. The province reported 166 net new cases of COVID-19 on the shortest day of the year, including 25 cases within the Northern Health Region. Four deaths were reported Monday due to COVID-19, each from southern Manitoba communities. article continues below
Trending Stories Within the district of Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon, only two cases of COVID-19 remain active. According to the most recent provincial health data, 32 people have had the disease and recovered, while one person who tested positive for COVID-19 has died.
Winnipeg care homes still letting residents leave, even as they try keeping visitors, COVID-19 out
Marc Roy was surprised to learn he can take his mother out of the Actionmarguerite care home in St. Vital for a short visit, even as the home prevents almost everybody from setting foot inside.
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There are now three communities in remote portions of Manitoba where spread of COVID-19 has hit drastic levels. Shamattawa remains the hardest hit of these regions, with active cases in the community’s health district hitting 275 according to provinicial data – over a quarter of the people in the town have either had COVID-19 or still have the disease. Twenty-one new cases were reported in the district Friday. The Canadian Armed Forces are still actively working in Shamattawa, helping first responders and health workers. Things aren’t looking much better in the Island Lake district, home to Red Sucker Lake, where cases are continuing to grow. The district passed the 200 active case mark Friday, sitting now at 203 active cases of the disease in the district. Armed Forces crews arrived in the community Thursday to help stop the spread. The district reported 13 new cases Friday.