Infection Prevention Update
To help protect the health and safety of residents, visitors, and staff during the holiday season, we strongly recommend that staff, visitors, and caregivers wear masks while in indoor resident areas. Masks can help prevent the spread of respiratory infections. This is particularly important during periods of increased visitor activity, when the risk of spreading illness may be higher.
Thank you for helping us create a safer and healthier environment for everyone.
Our top priority is protecting the health and safety of our residents and staff. In response to continued decreases in community level transmission of COVID-19, the MLTC has ended the enhanced masking measures effective March 4, 2024. The Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC) has revoked the COVID-19 specific guidance document as of April 19, 2024, and we continue to adhere to the enhanced Infection Prevention and Control Standard for Long-Term Care Homes from the MLTC.
Masking remains an effective strategy for reducing the transmission of airborne infection and respiratory illness.
Current guidelines for Halton Region Long Term Care Homes and Adult Day Programs:
- Staff are required to mask in non-outbreak situations based on a point-of-care risk assessment before every resident interaction, and based on the return-to-work protocols
- Staff may consider wearing a mask during prolonged direct resident care
- We recommend the use of masks by all visitors when attending the homes, however, they are not required
- We encourage you to refrain from visiting when you are experiencing symptoms of illness.
Staff and visitors are required to self-assess for symptoms of COVID-19 and other respiratory or communicable diseases prior to entry to prevent the spread of illness in the home. Any person with symptoms of respiratory or gastric illness should not enter until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours (48 hours for nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea).
In alignment with advice from the Ministry of Health (external link), we encourage every individual to continue to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations and receive all doses that are recommended as soon as they are eligible, including additional doses.
There is no limit to the number of visitors that a resident may have at a time for indoor or outdoor visits, however the homes still maintain capacity limits on common spaces.
Absences for medical and compassionate/palliative reasons are permitted for all residents at all times. Short term (day) absences and temporary (overnight) absences for non-medical or social reasons are permitted for all residents provided they are not under isolation or residing in an area of the home affected by an outbreak.
For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.