COVID-19 Information
Updated: March 31, 2023
New changes in effect March 31, 2023
20230322What-Residents-Can-Expect-03-22-2023
COVID-19 Vaccination
The new COVID-19 bivalent vaccination is now available. Visitors to the home must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Caregivers require the most recent COVID dose within the last 6 months.
Please refer to Grove Park Home’s current COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Book your bivalent booster vaccine appoint here.
On-site vaccination for residents remains in place.
Active Screening Becomes Passive (Self) Screening
- Active screening is no longer required for visitors.
- Grove Park Home’s transition to “passive” (self- screening) will begin on March 31/23, however our screening staff will be set up to explain this new process to visitors daily at the screening clinic until April 5/23.
- Self-screening includes referring to the posted signage for current symptom checks and entry restrictions. Monitoring for new symptoms throughout your visit is an expectation as well.
- The self-screening signage will be available to review at the front entrance beside the sign-in book. SIGNING IN IS STILL REQUIRED
- Please remain diligent in answering the questions honestly. If you do not feel well and know you cannot pass the self-screening questions, do not come in to the facility.
Asymptomatic Rapid Antigen Testing Ends
- Obtaining a daily rapid antigen test (RAT) upon arrival into Grove Park Home is no longer recommended by the MOLTC, and this process will stop on March 31/23.
- Symptomatic visitors may utilize a RAT at home if they choose to, however this is not necessary.
- Symptomatic visitors may return to Grove Park Home once they are able to pass the passive screening, unless they are deemed Covid-19 positive, in which case they will remain out of the home for 10 days.
Daily Resident Temperature Checks to Cease
- LTCHs will continue to be required to monitor residents daily to detect the presence of infection, including Covid-19, however the requirements which go beyond what is required by the IPAC standard, is no longer recommended.
Universal Masking Protocols Remain in Place
- The MOLTC recommendation for residents and visitors to mask outdoors has been removed. However, it will remain in place for staff, students, and volunteers when outdoors in close proximity to residents.
- Indoor universal masking precautions remain in place for all who enter into Grove Park Home, aside from our residents.
- Visitors may remove their mask in a resident room where no staff or other residents are present
Outbreak Protocols Continue
- Essential care givers (triple vaccinated) are the only type of visitors residents may have during an outbreak or while isolating under additional precautions. There is no longer a limit to the number of essential care givers visiting at a time.
- There are no restrictions for resident absences including medical appointments or LOAs during an outbreak, unless otherwise advised by Public Health. No return screening or testing is required.
End of Life Extends to Unlimited Visitors
- Visitors of an end of life resident are required to self-screen upon entry to the home.
- Non-vaccinated visitors no longer require an N95 mask or additional PPE. Any visitor experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of Covid-19 or are known Covid-19 positive, and still wish to visit the EOL resident, they will be required to wear an N95 mask.
- There is no limit to the number of visitors at a time during EOL
Mandatory Vaccination No Longer Required for Visitors. Currently Remains in Place for Staff
- Visitors will no longer be required to be vaccinated or show proof of vaccination to enter into our home.
- We continue to encourage everyone who enters Grove Park Home to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccinations, including boosters. We will continue to promote awareness of the benefits of vaccination, and ensure up to date information is available.
Activities
Group activities have resumed for residents, including events in the Auditorium, physical distancing among residents is no longer required.
Communal dining has resumed in non-outbreak situations. Visitors and caregivers can accompany a resident to the dining room for the purpose of socialization and assistance. Masks cannot be removed by staff, visitors, volunteers, or caregivers in the dining rooms.
Admissions and Transfers
Homes are no longer required to test or isolate residents upon return from an absence unless the resident does not pass screening (for example, has COVID-19 symptoms). Any resident who does not pass screening must be permitted entry but isolated.
Absences
For all absences, residents must be:
- provided with a medical mask when they are leaving the home
- provided a handout that reminds residents and families to practice public health measures such as masking and hand hygiene when outside of the home
- actively screened upon their return to the home
There are four types of absences:
- medical absences are absences to seek medical or health care and include:
- outpatient medical visits and a single visit (less than or equal to 24 hours in duration) to the emergency department
- all other medical visits (for example, admissions or transfers to other healthcare facilities, multi-night stays in the emergency department)
- compassionate and palliative absences include, but are not limited to, absences for the purposes of visiting a dying loved one
- short term (day) absences are absences that are less than or equal to 24 hours in duration. There are two types of short term (day) absences:
- essential absences include absences for reasons of groceries, pharmacies, and outdoor physical activity
- social absences include absences for all reasons not listed under medical, compassionate or palliative, or essential absences that do not include an overnight stay
- temporary absences include absences involving two or more days and one or more nights for non-medical reasons
Visitors
Residents are now allowed to have visitors in their rooms unmasked. These visits can only take place in the resident’s room when no staff or other residents are present. Visitors can eat and drink in the resident room only, and not in the main dining rooms. The “unmasking” rule applies to one-to-one visits only; not if more visitors are present. To maintain required physical distancing, a maximum of four visitors are permitted, per resident, at any time.
Caregiver application form and visitor policy available here. Visitor Policy Caregiver Form
Access to Homes
All general visitors, including children under the age of five, can enter the long-term care
home when the home/home area is not in outbreak.
Essential Caregivers are the only type of visitors allowed when a resident is isolating or resides in a home or area of the home in an outbreak.
General visitors are not permitted:
- when a home or area of a home is in outbreak
- to visit an isolating resident
- when the local public health unit adds direction
Important Family and Caregiver IPAC Training
Recommended Steps: Putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Public Health Ontario
Video #1 – Putting on Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Video #2 – Taking off Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Video #3 – How to Hand Wash
McMaster University – Infection Prevention and Control of Caregivers and Families
