ST. PAUL – The roll-out of the first COVID-19 vaccines at long-term care facilities in St. Paul this week is a sign of hope for many families in the region.
For the Anderson family, the vaccine being distributed at Extendicare in St. Paul was welcome news. Clarence Anderson is a resident at the long-term care facility and ever since he found out the vaccine would be coming to St. Paul, he couldn't stop talking about it, according to Clarence’s son, Justin Anderson.
“There is some hope of getting back to normal, which is a good thing and a huge boost to the mental wellness of the people in those situations where they are locked down and away from family, not just during the holidays but just in general,” says Justin.
While the experience of having a parent in a long-term care facility during a pandemic has been “different,” Justin is quick to commend the staff at Extendicare for making the situation “a little less stressful.”
When Justin found out his dad could get the vaccine, it was a happy moment.
“I was happy. Not for us, but for dad. He is able to make all of those decisions himself and he decided before we even knew that he would get the vaccine - that he wanted it.”
While there are risks to getting the vaccine, the positives outweigh those risks for the Anderson family.
"We understand that the vaccine, for us and for him, is not a sure thing, nothing in life is, but it is another layer of protection that will allow us to get back to a little more normalcy. I am grateful that he could get it so soon.”
Justin says he doesn’t judge anyone for doing whatever they think is best for their loved ones, “but what I would like to say is that we are all in this together.”
“I think we can all feel it now - the light at the end of this crazy tunnel. It has not been an easy nine-and-a-half months, but we have managed to this point, and if we cannot get back to an actual normal, then I think we will be back to our next normal soon.”
For now, Justin knows his dad is happy and content in his new surroundings, having just moved to Extendicare in the past few months.
“They kept us updated and we knew they were always doing their best to protect their staff and all the residents,” says Justin. "I think technology has been a key to everything going fairly smooth for sure. The ability to video chat with him, whenever he is not busy with his little projects . . . or his exercises, has been awesome.”
Justin was even able to visit his dad on Christmas day, and his mom has also been able to visit Clarence a few times a week. He admits it would be nice for the whole family to be able to visit, but he respects the need for the rules.
"The grandchildren were even great about it, knowing that they were protecting Pop by staying home.”
Alberta Health Services was busy administering the vaccine to residents at Extendicare between Christmas and New Years.
St. Paul Extendicare resident Cecile Kotowich, 88, received one of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse Melissa Dobrowski of Bonnyville Community Health Services.
“It feels good, for your own benefit. After working as a nurse in the hospital from a young age, I realize that needles are important to survive,” said Cecile, through information provided by AHS.
As for advice for others to receive the vaccine, Cecile says “I know some don’t believe in it, but it is a really good thing.”
Background
St. Paul was among seven communities in the province that received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week, approved for use in Canada just a week prior.
The announcement came on the heels of St. Paul also having received 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine just before Christmas for front-line health care workers.
This initial shipment of 16,900 Moderna vaccine doses to Alberta will be used to immunize residents at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities.
During a press conference announcing the arrival of the Moderna vaccine Dec. 29, Minister of Health Tyler Shandro said 28,000 people live in continuing care facilities in Alberta.
“These are the people who are at highest risk from advanced age and medical conditions as well as the nature of the care that they need and receive in these facilities. The reality is it involves close contact with teams of caregivers and that poses risk. The data shows overwhelmingly that the risk of severe illness from COVID increases with age, but the nature of continuing care means that people in these facilities are at much higher risk than seniors who are living independently or in other setting such as lodges or seniors apartments.”
Unlike, the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine can be more easily transported to continuing care sites. The vaccine was delivered to sites in Calgary, St. Paul, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Red Deer and Edmonton and will be offered to residents in continuing care facilities in those communities.
