UPDATE – December 14, 2015, 5:45pm

Medical Health Officer Dr. David Torr has rescinded the outbreak previously affecting the Southwest Integrated Health Care Facility’s Prairie Oasis (blue house) long term care home.  Visitation has now returned to normal; however, all visitors are encouraged to continue practicing good hand hygiene when entering and leaving health region facilities and to take advantage of hand washing and hand sanitizer stations that are available. If you are feeling ill, please delay your visit to the facility until your signs and symptoms have disappeared.

The Maple Creek staff and health region’s infection control team are thankful for the patience and understanding of the residents’ families and general public over the past week while the outbreak was effective.

Testing has not yet revealed a causative microorganism of the enteric illness that was to blame for the outbreak.

Previous message (December 8, 2015) – no longer applicable.

Under the guidance of Medical Health Officer Dr. David Torr, an outbreak has been declared at the Prairie Oasis (Blue) Long Term Care home in the Southwest Integrated Healthcare Facility in Maple Creek, due to the presence of enteric illness signs and symptoms amongst some of the house’s long term care residents.

Due to this declaration, please consider the following:

• Until further notice, visitation to the Prairie Oasis (Blue) House will be restricted.  The only exceptions to these restrictions will be in the event of an ‘end of life’ situation, where the nurse in charge at the facility can be contacted to discuss the options that are available for the family members to visit their loved one.
• Visitation to the Paradise Pines and Prairie Meadows long term care houses will continue to be allowed at the current time.  However, visitors are reminded to wash their hands upon entering and leaving the facility to reduce the risk of illness transmission.
• This outbreak has been declared due to the presence of an unconfirmed enteric illness.  Samples have been forwarded to the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory in Regina for analysis and confirmation of the illness.
• Presently, there are 4 long term care residents within the Prairie Oasis House who have been identified as meeting the signs and symptoms of this illness.   Several other residents are being closely monitored.
• Enhanced cleaning and infection control protocols have been implemented within the facility, to minimize the illness.
• Public Health and Infection Control Team members are actively involved in the situation and are providing guidance into the ongoing steps being taken to curb the illness.  The health region is strongly emphasizing that everyone do what they can to prevent the spread of illness/sickness to others.  Frequent and proper handwashing, staying home when ill, and enhanced cleaning of hard surfaces within your homes/businesses should always be the normal practice.

Additional information will be posted this page as it becomes available.