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"It was like a ray of sunshine," says Cynthia Marinelli, chief executive officer of Chester Village, about the beginning of the long-term care homeâ€�s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Chester Village was one of the first long-term care homes in Toronto to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to its residents in December 2020. Now, 99% have received both doses and the home has been able to safely resume some of its recreational programming � a long awaited milestone after over a year of public health and infection prevention and control protocols that limited interactions between residents, caregivers and families.

�We started with small group programming and dining cohorts because of the safety we felt in our vaccination status,� says Cynthia. �Now, we open our café for larger group programs, organize outdoor entertainment and arrange overnight visits for residents with their family members.�

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the most significant infection prevention and control measures at Chester Village meant that residents remained in their individual home areas of 29 people and visitors were limited.

�The COVID-19 vaccine provided us with an opportunity to look at how we can get people out of their home areas and safely into group settings,� says Cynthia. �It�s been our salvation.�

This has been a positive change for residents like Janette Day, who has lived at Chester Village for two and a half years.

�It�s been nice to get outside and enjoy live music in the garden,� she says. �We hear all different kinds of music � pop and classical are my favourite.�

Last year, one of Janette�s daughters became her essential caregiver so that they could continue to see each other in-person once a week even when visitors to the home were limited.

�But the biggest change is that we are allowed hugs now,� says Janette. �I gave my daughter such a big hug. It�s the best thing that�s ever happened to me.�

Health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant health impacts, especially for older adults.

â€�We aren’t just talking about the health impacts of COVID-19,â€� says Dr. Jarred Rosenberg, geriatrician at Michael ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý (MGH). â€�Weâ€�re talking about the physical and psycho-social impacts from a lack of exercise, cognitive stimulation and socialization.â€�

This can lead to worsening of cognitive impairment, physical frailty and low mood in older adults.

�That�s why we always encouraged essential caregivers to visit at Chester Village,� says Cynthia. �We knew how important it was for our residents to stay connected and have additional supports in place.�

As a geriatrician, Dr. Rosenberg sees patients admitted to the acute care for elders unit at MGH to help with the management of acute illness and provide function focused care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he brought his expertise to long-term care and retirement homes in East Toronto as part of MGH�s COVID-19 outreach team.

â€�Unfortunately the  physical and mental health of many long-term care residents significantly worsened during the pandemic,â€� says Dr. Rosenberg. â€�We also observed this in the community with hospital visits due to falls, physical deconditioning and more responsive behaviours and caregiver strain for individuals with dementia.â€�

The COVID-19 vaccine: Doing more of what you love

Reopening at Chester Village was done thoughtfully and gradually, with input from infectious diseases experts and geriatricians like Dr. Rosenberg. 

�There was a time where we huddled daily with Dr. Rosenberg to understand what could be done safely,� says Cynthia. �It means everything to me that residents are doing more of what they love.�

Dr. Rosenberg says resuming recreational activities for seniors should be a priority in congregate living settings and in the community.

â€�Iâ€�d like to see an increased  focus on safely resuming adult day programs and other recreational programming for seniors in the same way weâ€�ve focused on programming for children and youth,â€� he says. “COVID-19 disproportionately affected older adults and has highlighted important opportunities to improve the services and care of seniors in our community. I am hopeful that we will rise to this challenge.â€�

Janette is grateful that the COVID-19 vaccine has allowed her to see more of the other residents at Chester Village.

�I don�t know where I would I be if I didn�t get the COVID-19 vaccine,� she says. �It�s so important; it could mean your life.�