As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, across Wood’s Homes, we have made changes to the way we care for the young people staying with us on each of our campuses, as well as community programs. We have implemented strict and highly detailed cleaning procedures in all on-campus facilities, and our nursing staff (now working a 7-day rotation) are in constant contact with Alberta Health Services to gather and provide the most up-to-date information to all staff – more than 500 working together so clients feel safe and treatment goes uninterrupted.

The tertiary services supporting our clients – social workers, doctors, etc. – remain available through video chat services like FaceTime and WebEx, as do parents, guardians and caregivers who are still able to engage with the youth in our care for scheduled visits. 

All programs have been provided Personal Protective Equipment in the event that a client displays symptoms of COVID-19 and assessment protocols are followed for all staff and clients leaving and arriving on campus.

Thankfully, no Wood’s Homes client or staff member has contracted the virus.

With schools closed, including our William Taylor and George Wood Learning Centres, you might wonder how clients are spending their days. Youth staying with us are engaged in regular daily routines consisting of mental health treatment, chores - including our enhanced cleaning protocols - and other activities like board and video games, time in our school gym, movies, puzzles and more.

We are lucky to have the Douglas Fir Historical Site connect our campus to lovely Bowness park. To get off campus, staff and clients go for walks through the trees and down to the park – all while maintaining necessary social distancing.

Through all this uncertainty, there is also strength. Through all this, we have noticed an increase sense of togetherness between staff and clients, as well as a sense of responsibility to one another to keep everyone healthy. As well, with the added time spent together, staff and clients have formed deeper bonds. These strong relationships can mean great things for clients who have struggled with relationship-building in the past, but who are now learning to trust their caregivers – a feeling many may not have known before coming here.