Dear staff of Nursing Homes, Homes for the Aged, and Retirement Homes;

I am taking this time to express the gratitude I feel for the work that you are doing. I recognize it is an amazing accomplishment to take care of the generation that has helped build this county, but to do so in the face of a global pandemic is genuinely heroic.

I acknowledge this work, but also to recognize the significant sacrifice that every one of you have given working in the Nursing Homes, Homes for the Aged, and Retirement Homes sector. I appreciate the uncertainty that many of you have at this time, and congratulate you for working through this. Without you, our entire system would suffer, but more importantly, our older adults would suffer – so for that I thank you.

By following all protocols with professionalism, and with your knowledge, experience, sympathy and a kind heart, I know that you will continue to do your best during this challenging time.

Please take this as a sincere thank you for staying the course, and caring for our most vulnerable. You are there today for a very valuable sector of our society, and they will need your ongoing strength, determination, and caring to get to tomorrow. I am confident that you will all rise to this occasion, and I want to let you know, we will be there with you to support you along the way. Only by working together can we face this challenge and see it through.

Again, thank you for your service. I remain,

Yours very truly,

Dr. Ian Arra
Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
Grey Bruce Health Unit