Infection Control

Good infection control practices protect your health and the health of those around you.

Acclaim Health staff members wear appropriate personal protective equipment (such as masks) depending on public health guidelines and the presence of infectious diseases.

Self-Screening

Prior to contact with Acclaim Health staff members or volunteers, please review the following questions:

  1. In the past 10 days, have you or anyone in your household tested positive for COVID-19 or any other respiratory infection?
  2. In the last 24 hours, have you or anyone in your household had any of the following symptoms
    • Fever and/or chills (temperature higher than 38oC)
    • Cough or barking cough (continuous, more than normal)
    • Shortness of breath (out of breath, can’t breathe deeply)
    • Decreased loss of smell or tasteSore throat (painful swallowing)
    • Runny or stuffy/congested nose (not related to cold weather, allergies)
    • Headache (unusual or long lasting)Red, watery eyes or pink eye (not related to allergies)
    • Unexplained fatigue or muscle aches
  3. In the last 24 hours, have you or anyone in your household developed a new skin rash?
  4. In the last 48 hours, have you or anyone in your household experienced vomiting or diarrhea?
  5. Have you or anyone in your household been told that you should be quarantining, isolating or staying at home by a doctor, health care provider, public health unit or federal border agent?

If you answered YES to any of these questions please notify your Care Manager or Counsellor immediately and cancel your appointment or visit.

Best Way to Clean Your Hands

Did you know that alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the preferred method and kills the germs on your hands? For this reason, staff members must use a hand sanitizer to clean their hands.

Using Hand Sanitizer

  1. A quarter-sized amount of hand sanitizer must be placed in the palm of the hand.
  2. Hands must be rubbed back and front and in between the fingers until they are dry (takes about 15-20 seconds).

You and your family don’t need to clean your hands with hand sanitizer in your home, but you should clean your hands with soap and water.

Washing with Soap and Water

  1. Wet your hands first, then apply soap.
  2. Scrub your hands back and front and in between your fingers for 15 seconds (sing Happy Birthday to help with timing).
  3. Rinse and dry your hands well.

When to Clean Your Hands

You should always clean your hands:

  • Before you start your day (wash hands before you have contact with other family members)
  • Before you eat or prepare food
  • After you go to the bathroom
  • After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
  • After contact with other people in public areas such as at work, the grocery store, doctor’s office or a community centre

Keeping Your Equipment Clean

The parts of your equipment that you touch or are touched by your caregivers should be cleaned regularly. This includes such things as the grips of your cane or walker, and any part of your wheelchair, scooter or lifting device.

Regular cleaning should include:

  • Cleaning visibly dirty surfaces and/or known to be dirty surfaces as soon as possible with soap and water, followed by disinfecting with a Lysol or Clorox wipe.
  • Disinfecting high touch surfaces with a household disinfectant.
Previous Page: Medication Safety
Next Page: Staying Healthy, Safe and Strong