Infection prevention and safe care
Respiratory illness did not end with the pandemic, and in home care and long-term care it never stopped mattering. This page sets out what we do to keep clients and staff safe — from routine screening to what changes when someone in a household is infectious.
Public health guidance on testing and isolation changes. Rather than repeat advice that may be out of date by the time you read it, we link to the official sources below and follow them in practice.
What we do, as standard
Active screening
We screen staff and clients for symptoms in line with Public Health Ontario guidance. Anyone unwell does not attend — and because our caregivers are employees, staying home does not mean losing a shift they cannot afford to lose.
Personal protective equipment
Masks, gloves and eye protection are supplied and used according to the setting and the client’s status. Staff are trained on putting them on and taking them off properly, which is where most mistakes happen.
Hand hygiene
The single most effective measure there is, and the one that gets skipped when people are rushed. It is part of orientation and part of supervision.
Cleaning and disinfection
Routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and safe handling of equipment and linens, appropriate to the setting.
Dedicated staff where it matters
Where a client is infectious or higher-risk, we limit how many different people go in and out. Fewer contacts means less transmission and less confusion for the client.
Reporting
Exposures and outbreaks are reported and acted on rather than absorbed quietly. In a facility, we work to that site’s outbreak protocols.
Continuity of care when someone is unwell
An illness in the household is exactly when care is hardest to arrange and most needed. A family caregiver who is ill still has someone depending on them; an agency that cannot cover a shift leaves a real gap.
Because we hold a network of more than 1,000 screened professionals, we can usually cover short-notice absence, including where a client is infectious and a dedicated caregiver is needed.
If you are a facility in outbreak and short of staff, call us — that is a normal request, and the line is answered 24/7.
Common symptoms to watch for
- New or worsening cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever or chills
- Fatigue, weakness, muscle aches
- Loss of smell or taste
- Headache, sore throat, runny nose
- Stomach symptoms — more common in children
Symptoms vary by person and by age, and someone can be infectious without any. If you are unsure, check the current official guidance below or speak to your health care provider.
Official sources for current guidance
Testing, isolation periods and vaccine eligibility change. These are the pages to check, rather than anything we could write here.
- COVID-19 in Ontario — testing, vaccines and current provincial guidance
- Public Health Ontario — infection prevention and control resources
- COVID-19 — Government of Canada
- Find your local public health unit
- Influenza information — Ontario
If you are seriously unwell, contact your health care provider or call 911. For non-urgent health advice in Ontario, Health811 is available 24/7 by phone on 811.
Talk to us
Whether you need care at home while someone recovers, or staff to cover an outbreak, we can help.