A number of safety measures, including visiting protocols, have changed because of the providence-wide shutdown.
Effective April 3, teams are modifying services to ensure client safety and alignment with government directives during the provincial shutdown.
Community Services continue to offer in-person programming at Providence Care locations across the region, in client’s homes, as well as long-term care homes. To help reduce the risk of community transmission of COVID-19, all programs have implemented alternate service delivery strategies, which may include:
- Connecting with clients/families or hosting groups via telephone or other technologies
- Limiting face-to-face appointments and/or pausing in-person group sessions at community sites
- Reducing home visits
Please note exceptions will be made for high-risk individuals. Contact your Program Manager for more information.
Masks/Face Coverings
At Community Services locations:
All clients, family members and visitors must wear a mask before entering any Community Services building.
Clients, family members and visitors are not permitted to wear fabric masks beyond the Screening Desk. If you arrive wearing a fabric mask, you will be given a procedure mask to wear.
Masks must be worn for the duration of your visit.
At client homes:
Clients receiving services in their homes or areas outside of Providence Care facilities are required to wear a procedure mask when receiving care.
If a client does not have the appropriate medical-grade face covering, they will be provided a procedure mask to wear. Clients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or confirmed to have COVID-19 will be provided a contact droplet mask.
If there are other people in the home (family members/co-inhabitants) while staff is providing care, they are also asked to wear a procedure mask. If they do not have a clean medical-grade mask, a procedure mask will be provided.
Masks must be worn for the duration of the visit.
Click here to learn how to put on and remove a mask/face covering properly.
Screening
All clients/visitors must answer the following questions before they are allowed to enter a Community Services site:
- Do you have a fever (temperature of ≥ 37.8°C)?
- Do you have any of the following symptoms:
- new or worsening cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- chills
- runny nose, sneezing or nasal congestion (not due to other underlying reasons like seasonal allergies or post-nasal drip)
- difficulty swallowing
- new and/or unexplained headache
- unexplained fatigue/malaise
- unexplained nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain
- change in your sense of taste/smell
- Have you been tested for COVID-19 due to symptoms and are awaiting results? (asymptomatic/surveillance testing does not apply)
- Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 20 days?
- In the last 14 days, have you:
- travelled outside of Ontario?
- travelled outside of Canada*?
- In the last 14 days, have you had contact** with a suspected*** or confirmed case of COVID-19, or lived/worked in a facility in outbreak?
*If yes, please note if visitor is an essential worker.
**Contact: been advised by Public Health or your employer you have had contact with a
confirmed case, provided care, had similar close physical contact, or had lived with or otherwise
had close contact without appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including: gown, gloves, mask and eye protection.
***Asymptomatic or surveillance testing in one of your contacts does not apply.
If you have answered YES to any of the above questions, do not visit.
All clients/visitors must also sign in during screening and provide their name, as well as a contact number.
Contact
If you have any questions about protective measures in place at Providence Care Community Services sites, please contact your Program Manager for more information.
