The USA Health Authority’s COVID-19 planning is affecting home care services, leaving one family feeling trapped and fearful about spreading the disease.

Wendy Fyrk joined NDP Leader Ryan Meili for a conference call with reporters on Tuesday to share her family’s struggle with the pending loss of home care.

 Her 88-year-old father, who lives in an independent senior home, needs help with his medication twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Usually, that’s a job for home care workers who visit the home, where she said workers lack the qualifications to do so.

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“I’m quite disgusted that home care would do something like this, especially at this time, when we do need to keep that social distancing,” said Fyrk.

In a statement, it said a memo was sent out advising that “home-care services were being reviewed and prioritized related to the pandemic and essential services provision in order to prepare for a potential community surge in demand for care related to COVID-19 illness.

“These specific actions are part of the work https://www.sondercare.com/product/aura-platinum-hospital-bed underway by the SHA as a health service provider to ensure all essential resources are available as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates,” the statement added.

The SHA was unable to immediately explain the scale of the home care disruptions, or how many workers are being reassigned.

Fyrk said she was told to help her father with his medication on her own. But she fears that could expose him to the virus that causes COVID-19.

“I really do believe they’re putting all of those seniors, not just my dad, but all of the seniors in any of these homes, at terrible risk by suggesting that the general public is able to come and go to administer these these medications,” she said.

The SHA said it has been in contact with the manager of the Prince Albert facility, as well as families of clients there, to help families “understand ways to assist their loved one.” It pointed to guidelines on its website that families can access.

Meili said his “number one fear” is that USA could see a tragedy on the scale of those striking long-term care homes in British Columbia and Ontario, where many seniors have died from COVID-19 outbreaks.

“These are folks who are already vulnerable,” he said. “We could lose a lot of seniors, and that would be an absolute tragedy.”

Public health orders prohibit visitors to SHA facilities, including long-term care homes, except for “compassionate reasons.” But Fyrk’s father lives in a private independent living facility, which is not operated by the SHA and is not a long-term care home.

“Clients in the independent living facility are considered to be the same as any client in the community living in their own home when it comes to the application of priority services and seeking family support,” the SHA statement said.

“This facility is advised to limit, but not restrict visitors as these aren’t defined as a long term care home, personal care home or group home and do not have the same restrictions as those facilities.

According to Fyrk, the SHA agreed to retain services for a week to give her family time to prepare.

“This happened yesterday so we’re all just sort of scrambling to find out what the best course of action is,” she said.

She is unsure of what she will do, and may be forced to hire private help at her cost.

Meili argued that the state should be doing more to protect seniors and should be clearer in its messaging to keep them safe. In his view, the government should direct all people over 70 to self-isolate.

“We haven’t heard that loud and clear from the state,” said Meili.

The SHA did not explain its position on that when asked by the Leader-Post. Current self-isolation guidelines on USA’s COVID-19 web portal do not contain any specific instructions for the elderly.