WOODSTOCK – Caressant Care Nursing and Retirement Homes is joining a group of national seniors’ care providers in implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for staff at the Woodstock-based company’s 25 long-term care and assisted living facilities.
Caressant Care employs 84 staff members at its retirement home/long-term care facility in Listowel.
Starting Nov. 1, all staff, contractors, students and volunteers working within those homes will be required to prove they’re fully vaccinated or be placed on unpaid leave.
Receiving two vaccines doses will be a requirement of employment for future staff.
The only exemptions are for medical and religious reasons.
“With cases continuing to rise as we head into fall and concerns over the Delta and other variants of COVID-19 Caressant Care recognizes the importance of immunization of staff, student placements, and volunteers due to the nature of their work with vulnerable seniors and potential for exposure in the community,” Communications Manager Stuart Oakley stated in a Sept. 7 press release announcing the policy update.
As of Aug. 27, 71 of the 84 staff were fully vaccinated at the Listowel home.
Oakley said he did not have updated staff vaccination numbers to provide when asked on Sept. 7.
