Keeping Staff and Residents Protected - Update on COVID-19 PPE Initiatives

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Chartwell Retirement Residences ("Chartwell") (TSX: CSH.UN) today issued the following statement from its CEO, Vlad Volodarski:

Chartwell strongly believes that that personal protective equipment ("PPE") is a critical response measure in ensuring the safety of staff and residents and in minimizing the transmission of COVID-19.

In advance of the World Health Organization declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, Chartwell accelerated our efforts to ensure the integrity of our pandemic supply chain to allow us to reliably source appropriate PPE to our staff.  In the face of a global disruption in supply chains and the significant challenges of sourcing PPE in the environment of increased worldwide demand, we immediately began working with a number of contingency suppliers. These efforts continue to date.

Today, as a founding member, Chartwell is proud to announce our support and participation in a new national initiative – CAPES (Canadian Alliance to Protect and Equip Senior Living).  Earlier today, CAPES announced that they have processed more than 15 million pieces of PPE destined for retirement and long-term care homes across Canada.

CAPES represents a group of senior housing operators, supported by a small group of sector volunteers and partners, who agreed to combine funds to act as a joint purchasing group to access a network of credible global suppliers and logistics channels. All CAPES members committed to overfund their PPE requirement by 35% to allow the excess supplies to be made available at cost to smaller operators across Canada through an online portal. Within a short time, the initiative has grown to a purchasing group of more than 25 Canadian retirement and long term care operators.  Chartwell will continue to contribute funds in advance for purchases by smaller operators and is firmly committed to the availability of PPE for all senior living residences in Canada, including dedicating some of our staff to assist with distribution logistics.

We applaud the leadership and vision of a small group of volunteers, including Dr. Joseph Y.K. Wong, Founder of Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care and the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, Melody Lo of RFA Capital and Michelle Roth of Goodmans LLP's Aging and Healthcare Platform SenbridGe. Together, they moved with speed and commitment to bring together the collaboration of the operator participants, sector associations and a number of industry partners including RFA Capital, Goodmans LLP and SenbridGe, ShipFusion, PointClickCare, T&T Supermarket, MCAP, BMO, CIBC, TD, Cushman & Wakefield and Gardiner Roberts LLP.  We would like to personally recognize the commitment of Raymond Stone, the founder and former CEO of FutureMed, who volunteered to provide sourcing and logistics services in support of the initiative.

Chartwell's urgent and ongoing efforts to ensure the availability of pandemic PPE stock in our homes are focused on keeping our staff and residents safe in the face of the continued risks of COVID-19. We are also proud to work with our seniors housing colleagues, service providers and associations across Canada to support each other and particularly the smaller operators through this challenging time.

About Chartwell
Chartwell is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate trust which indirectly owns and operates a complete range of seniors housing communities, from independent supportive living through assisted living to long term care. It is the largest operator in the Canadian seniors living sector with over 200 quality retirement communities in four provinces, including properties under development. Chartwell is committed to its vision of Making People's Lives BETTER and to providing a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life experience for its residents. For more information, visit www.chartwell.com

SOURCE Chartwell Retirement Residences