Updated: May 30, 2022
COVID-19 safety measures
Community Services teams continue to offer in-person programming at Providence Care locations across the region, in client’s homes, as well as long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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
At Community Services locations:
All clients, family members and visitors must wear a mask before entering any Community Services site.
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 strongly encouraged to wear a mask when receiving care, but it is no longer required.
If a client chooses to they may wear a cloth/fabric mask or be provided with a clean medical-grade face covering.
If a client has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or confirmed to have the virus, they will be provided a contact droplet mask and are required to wear it for the duration of the visit.
Clients being transported in Providence Care vehicles are required to wear a mask, unless they have an exemption.
If there are other people in the home, such as family members or co-inhabitants, while staff is providing care they are strongly encouraged to wear a mask, but it is no longer required unless they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or confirmed to have the virus.
Click here to learn how to put on and remove a mask/face covering properly.
Screening
All clients and visitors must answer the following questions before they are allowed to enter a Community Services site:
- Do you have any of the following symptoms:
- fever (temperature of ≥ 37.8°C)?
- new or worsening cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- chills
- change in your sense of taste/smell
- runny nose, sneezing or nasal congestion (not due to other underlying reasons like seasonal allergies or post-nasal drip)
- difficulty swallowing
- unexplained fatigue/malaise
- nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
- 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 10 days?
- In the last 10 days, have you:
- had contact* with a suspected** or confirmed case of COVID-19?
- lived/worked in a facility in outbreak?
- Are you on federal quarantine due to travel?
*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, with someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
**Asymptomatic or surveillance testing in one of your contacts does not apply.
If you answer YES to any of the above questions, do not visit.
All clients and 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.
