Family members line up for COVID-19 tests as care home visit rules change
New rules make visits challenging, say families, but at least they're possible
Family members with loved ones in long-term care homes streamed in for COVID-19 tests Thursday in order to comply with new requirements that finally allow visits at those facilities.
Long-term care homes and seniors' residences have restricted visitors since mid-March, but Thursday marked the first day those visits could resume, although with strict rules in place.
"Just to see her in person is what I'm missing," said Francoise Ferguson, about her first planned visit with her mother.
Ferguson got tested at the Brewer Assessment Centre in Ottawa, as the new rules require family members to have confirmation of a negative test within two weeks of the visit.
Those pre-scheduled visits are currently limited to one family member at a time, once per week for each resident. They must be outside, physical distancing rules need to be observed, and everyone must wear a mask.
While her mother isn't happy with those restrictions, Ferguson said she herself understands the need to protect care homes from outbreaks. However, she's not confident the test she takes Thursday will still be accurate when her visit is finally scheduled.
"I'm not a hundred per cent sure because I may go out to do groceries or [go to] the pharmacy," she said.
Her mother lost her husband of 75 years to an unidentified illness in early February, Ferguson said, before falling ill herself — possibly with the coronavirus, according to their family doctor.
She was transferred from hospital to a residence in Rockland, Ont., in mid-March, on the eve of the provincial lockdown.
"And we haven't seen her since," said Ferguson.
Ferguson said she hopes the rules for long-term care residents will be even looser by August, when they're planning a funeral for her father.
Krista Bristow has also found the lockdown difficult.
Her mother, Lucille, lives at Stillwater Creek Retirement Residence in Bells Corners, which hasn't suffered an outbreak during the pandemic. She suffers from Alzheimer's disease, and Bristow said it's been difficult relying so much on others to take care of her mother's needs.
WATCH: Waiting to be cleared for a visit
'A relief'
Her mother has not been very verbal, and Bristol fears the months of not visiting in person may have taken a toll.
"I fear of course that she won't know who I am, and that's very likely," said Bristow, adding she personally doesn't mind all the rules. "I'm wondering how much ground she's lost, as a result of all of this disruption — not seeing someone who's familiar."
Carol McCartney also came to get tested Thursday, and was looking forward to her first visit with her own mother since the start of the pandemic.
"I think it will just be relief to see how things are going," said McCartney. "Because you don't really know."
McCartney's mother had been waiting for a spot in long-term care for more than a year when the call came in mid-March, right before the lockdown. The family, McCartney said, didn't even get a chance to settle her in.
"I think she's looking forward to seeing us in person," she said.
Pop-up mobile testing explored
The Ottawa Hospital, which is responsible for the testing centre, would not grant an interview on Thursday, but in an email told CBC the turnaround time for getting a result is currently under 24 hours.
However, some people being tested Thursday told CBC they were being informed it could take as long as five days.
Some also expressed some discomfort waiting in line-ups with people exhibiting symptoms like coughing or sneezing, which could be related to a COVID-19 infection.
Hospital spokesperson Michaela Schreiter wrote that the testing strategy is evolving, and the hospital is exploring the possibility of pop-up mobile assessment centres — an approach already underway in the Toronto region.