Covenant Health issued a statement on Monday afternoon in response to a release from a medical watch group that said a woman in a Lethbridge care facility was found with mice nibbling her face.

Statement in response to Friends of Medicare release:

Our dedicated staff at St. Therese Villa are committed to providing quality, compassionate care to our residents.

We are reviewing allegations that came forth today regarding one of our residents. The

allegations have not been verified; however they are concerning, and we are taking immediate action. Our first thoughts are with the resident and family.

Providing excellence in care and service is at the heart of our mission. Our priority is the safety and health of residents. As such, we are reviewing the situation and ensuring that proper precautions and actions are being taken.

As always, when incidents arise, our first priority is the safety and health of residents, engaging our physician and nursing team and working with our families to ensure they are kept engaged and well informed.

In collaboration with Alberta Health Services, we have immediately dealt with any environmental concerns—cleaning areas thoroughly according to standards and protocol and are monitoring on an ongoing basis. We will review the situation for quality improvements and implement any necessary changes.

Covenant Health is regularly audited and when recommendations are made, Covenant Health addresses them immediately. The following audits have been completed at St. Therese this past year, with no major issues identified:

  • Supportive Living Accommodation Standards inspection (Alberta Health) in May 2013
  • Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) audit in November 2012
  • Continuing Care Health Service Standards in February 2013

St. Therese provides a safe, homelike environment to 200 residents in a new, modern facility close to the outskirts of Lethbridge with adjoining fields. It’s unfortunate that mice do sometimes get into buildings, especially during this season. At St. Therese and all facilities, Covenant Health takes infection, prevention and control procedures seriously, and uses every precaution to prevent mice entering our facilities.

We are committed to working with our staff, residents and families to ensure quality care and to continue to meet the needs—body, mind and soul—of the residents who call St. Therese home.

Patrick Dumelie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Covenant Health