Policy

It is the policy of The John M. Parrott Centre to establish an official method of ensuring all visitors to the Home are in compliance with the IPAC standards as per the Fixing Long Term Care Act, 2021.

Purpose

Caregivers and visitors are an important component to the well being of the residents. They support the social, mental and emotional well-being of the residents by reducing potential negative impacts related to social isolation.      

Application

Not applicable. 

Definitions  

Essential Caregiver: Is a person identified and designated by the resident/Power of Attorney – a family member, friend, neighbor – who provides important personal, social, psychological and/or physical support, assistance and care.

Support Worker: Is a person who enters the home to provide support to the critical operations of the home or provide essential services to a resident.

General Visitor: Is a person who is not an essential visitor, and is visiting to provide non-essential services to a resident.

Any person may visit a very ill resident for compassionate reasons including, but not limited to end of life care.

Procedure            

1. Residents or their Substitute Decision Maker/Power of Attorney have a right to choose who will be deemed as an essential caregiver.

2. Essential Caregivers and general visitors are encouraged to stay current with all recommended vaccines, including all recommended doses of COVID-19 and annual influenza vaccines.

3. Essential Caregivers and general visitors are strongly encouraged to sign up for the Family Newsletter to ensure they are up to date on all protocols and overall health status of the Home. Hard copies of the Family Newsletter are available in the Resource area in the front lobby.

4. Follow the Policies and Procedures outlined by the home based on the best practice guidelines of the Ministry of Long-Term Care or KFLA Public Health guidelines.

All visitors entering the building must complete passive screening at the main entrance before each entry into the Home. Passive screening questions are posted at the entrance for all persons entering, to read and respond accordingly (and truthfully) as to their safe entrance into the Home. Rapid antigen test kits for COVID-19 testing are located to the right of the main entrance should you wish to test yourself prior to visiting a resident. The test kits are for use while at JMPC only.

5. Essential Caregivers must complete annual IPAC education, as well as, prior to being designated as an essential caregiver. If a home area is declared on outbreak, essential caregivers are encouraged to refresh their IPAC education by reviewing information located in the family newsletter.

6. Essential Caregivers must submit a caregiver form and complete online mandatory IPAC training prior to being approved as a designated essential caregiver.

7. A written record of all essential caregivers will be documented and maintain by the Health Information Assistant.

8. All general visitors and essential caregivers will be required to sign in at the front desk upon entering the home indicating the name of the visitor, contact information, the resident being visited and time/date. Visitor logs must be kept for a period of at least 30 days and be readily available for contact tracing purposes.

9. If a resident has been deemed end-of-life, the person visiting a resident at the end-of-life is not required to answer the passive screening questions to enter the home.

Visiting Hours

Visiting hours for Essential Caregivers and general visitors is 0900-2100.

Health and Safety

10. Everyone in the Long-term care home, whether staff, student, volunteer caregiver, support worker, general visitor or resident, has a responsibility to ensure the ongoing health and safety of all by following JMPC infection control policies and procedures.

11. Masks are provided for all persons entering the Home as per Ministry Directive.

12. Essential caregivers and general visitors are permitted to eat and drink in either the residents room or in the Gibbard Family Dining Rooms.

13. General Visitors are not permitted to enter a resident home area in outbreak, or if a resident is on isolation precautions due to an infectious disease.

14. Essential Caregivers are able to continue to enter resident home areas that are on outbreak.

15. General Visitors are not permitted to enter a resident home area in outbreak, or if a resident is on isolation precautions due to an infectious disease.

16. Essential Caregivers are able to continue to enter resident home areas that are on outbreak.

17. All persons entering the Home are encouraged to use hand sanitizer prior to, and following visiting. Hand sanitizer is provided at the sign in location and throughout the Home.

18. If a general visitor or essential caregiver becomes ill with a confirmed infectious illness, and has been in the Home visiting, they are encouraged to notify the IPAC Lead. This allows for the resident that was visited to be monitored for symptoms and tested appropriately.

Additional Notes: Not applicable. 

Annexes: Not applicable.

Brochures: Not applicable.