COVID-19 Updates from November 20 to November 26, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

  • The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of November 20th to November 26th.
    • COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
      • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (Nov. 18, 2020), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.

Further Clarification on Eye Protection Requirements

  • To protect against droplet exposures, eye protection is required for our employees in direct support environments in Ontario in “Yellow Zones” or greater.
  • Eye protection is recommended for people using services and employees in direct support locations in “Green Zones”
  • Eye protection requirements for visitors such as service technicians are set by their employers, and our expectation is that they will follow their own regulations along with wearing a commercial mask.
  • Employees in office-only settings or direct support locations completing administrative work are not required to use eye protection as they are able to maintain 2 meters of distance, they are still expected to follow all safety guidelines related to physical distancing and PPE.
  • Eye protection guidelines have been updated to give more specific instruction around use. Updated resources include:

LEARNING FROM YOU

  • We are working closely with employees who have worked in outbreak settings to hear their stories and learn from their experiences. Thank you to those who have taken the time to share with us so far. Your feedback is making a difference already, and will continue to do so:
    • We have heard concerns around regular cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and so have released a  COVID-19 Cleaning Checklist Template for locations that have not had a standard method of tracking required cleaning.
    • We have heard about the need for ongoing reminders and training on proper PPE usage. We are reviewing new tools released by MCCSS and Public Health to determine the best way to keep this knowledge fresh without unnecessary repetition or extra demands on your valuable time.
    • We have heard the importance of having clear plans and supports in place when responding to cases of COVID-19 at a location. We will be working to raise awareness of not only the additional precautions that come into effect, but also what you might expect or encounter as an employee. We are thankful for the many people who have stepped forward in their own location, or in being redeployed, to help keep people healthy and safe.

New COVID-19 Restrictions in Saskatchewan

Recently, the Premier, Scott Moe, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab of Saskatchewan, announced new COVID-19 restrictions that come into effect today, November 19, 2020. These included reducing gathering sizes in homes for four weeks, requiring mandatory mask use in all public spaces across the province, and stopping visits for long-term and residential care locations. In light of this announcement, we have informed families that all family visits are postponed for the next four weeks. We will also be working with our teams in Saskatchewan to review and make any necessary updates to current resources for communities in Saskatchewan in the coming week.

As always, thank you for your feedback and recommendations to improve our resources. Your comments are valued, and we continue to work on reviewing and incorporating new Public Health information from Saskatchewan as well as working with MCCSS in Ontario to encourage consistency with the Ontario Public Health’s new color-coded response guidelines.

 

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from November 13 to November 19, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

Thank you for for your continued honesty and diligence in keeping people healthy and well.

As a reminder from Janet’s video this week, the first line of defense against COVID-19 is screening – not coming to work if you’re sick or after potential exposure, active screening at the door, washing your hands (and other hand hygiene), continuing to physical distance when in public or when possible at work, and wearing a mask.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

Introducing… Gregory Crunican, Healthcare Strategies Manager!

Hello Everyone,
My name is Gregory Crunican and I am the new Healthcare Strategies Manager for Christian Horizons. My formal education is a Bachelors of Science and Nursing from Western University. I have utilized this education to work as a Registered Nurse in a few different capacities. Most relevant to my role with Christian Horizons is my experience in Emergency and Infectious Diseases.

I am also an educator at Fanshawe College in London where I teach in the Developmental Service Worker (DSW) Program. My experience teaching has motivated me to return to school and I am currently completing my Professional Masters of Education through Queens University.

In my personal life my wife (Karli) and I are navigating the newer waters of parenthood with our 16month old son Torin. We all enjoy building blocks, breaking towers, jumping in mud puddles, and general mayhem, or at least one of the three of us is drawn to these activities.

I look forward to working with all of you over the coming months as we continue to navigate through our current health situation.

All the best,

Gregory


We remain committed to monitoring, meeting, and exceeding changing public health requirements to ensure the health and safety of our employees and people who use our services.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Pandemic Fatigue Draft

Pandemic Fatigue

“Pandemic Fatigue” can occur when we begin to experience a sense of burnout and become tired of pandemic measures that impact our normal life routines. Pandemic fatigue may present itself as a natural response to following strict health measures and restrictions for such a prolonged period of time. These days, we may feel inclined to ignore public health guidance or simply begin to drown out the messages and warnings related to the continued risk of COVID-19. It is important that we remain vigilant and conscious of all of our efforts to protect people who use our services, friends, families, and ourselves. Please continue to wear your masks properly, wash your hands often, and be mindful of physical distancing. Our What Mask to Wear, When Poster, Hand Wash Poster, PPE Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources are available for you to review at any time. It is important to remember that our actions impact a greater number of people than just ourselves and our immediate social circles. For more information, you can visit the Wellington, Duffering, Guelph Public Health article by clicking here.

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

COVID-19 Updates from November 6 to November 12, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

  • The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of November 6th to November 12th.
  • The COVID-19 Exposure Attendance and Testing Guide has been updated to provide direction for those returning from redeployment from an outbreak setting.

 

Move to Using Commercial Masks

Christian Horizons is moving to the use of appropriate commercial masks at all locations. To ensure consistent and appropriate quality, Christian Horizons will now supply you with this mask when you start work. This means you will no longer bring in your own mask and using cloth/sewn masks is no longer permitted. The mask you are provided will be appropriate for the level of precaution and masking requirements for your location. Next Thursday (November 12th), all mask-related resources will be updated for clarity on this transition and to answer additional questions.

We remain committed to monitoring, meeting, and exceeding changing public health requirements to ensure the health and safety of our employees and people who use our services.

Winter Weather Approaching

As the winter weather begins, please continue to conduct active screening in an properly setup indoor space while following the COVID-19 Screening Protocol.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from October 30 to November 5, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

No significant changes this week! Please remember to still complete the COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist in the ODB.

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, enjoy a job well done!

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from October 23 to October 29, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

  • The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of October 23rd to October 29th.
    • COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
      • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (Oct. 21, 2020), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.
  • The Activity Restrictions Guide has been updated to permit Host Family/Lifeshare respite in situations where it is essential for maintaining the long term living arrangement.

Responding to Recent COVID-19 Surges

As some communities experience surges in COVID-19 cases and outbreaks, we want to remind you of additional resources available for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). While the COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist lists the resources that are required to be posted at locations, there are additional resources (including videos) located in the main Support People tab and can be accessed by clicking the “Show Additional Resources” button.

Please remember that personal support is also available when you and/or your immediate family members need it; our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through LifeWorks is now available to all employees, including Casual employees (temporarily until April 2021). LifeWorks can be accessed 24/7 and can offer guidance and support around various life matters. For more information, please visit the EAP page on CH Connect and check out the LifeWorks COVID-19 Toolkit page.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from October 16 to October 22, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from October 9 to October 15, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

  • Updated to add guidance for when an employee has close contact with someone being asked to self-isolate and/or seek testing. These guides were created to support employees in assessing their level of exposure to COVID-19 and to identify any testing or self-isolation requirements.
  • Due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in some communities, as a preventative measure, the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS) has directed that support locations within Ottawa, Niagara, Simcoe, Peel, Toronto and York be subject to additional restrictions. The following table helps to show which activities are no longer permitted within these communities.
An Update on the Visitor Checklist:

Thank you for your patience! The optimized version of the COVID-19 Visitor Checklist to record visiting information is now called the COVID-19 Visiting Record and will be available in the ODB on Tuesday, October 13th. The COVID-19 Visiting Record was designed to provide direction on required documentation for Essential, Non-Essential, Designated Visitors, and Essential Overnight Visits. More information on the update can be found here.

EDUCATE AND EQUIP TAB

We know that Thanksgiving is a meaningful time to meet with family and friends. Everything looks a bit different this year, but we hope that you and the people who use Christian Horizons’ services experience moments of connection and joy with loved ones. For ideas on ways that people with and without disabilities can celebrate Thanksgiving virtually, download our PowerPoint or PDF guide.

EMPLOYEES TAB

  • The Back to School Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document was updated to indicate that employees will need to self-isolate only if their close contact tests positive or develops COVID-19 symptoms. Employees are no longer required to self-isolate when their close contact (e.g. child) is asked to self-isolate and/or seek testing and has no symptoms.
  • As a reminder, the Employees tab has been updated with information on testing guidelines for both Ontario and Saskatchewan:
    • As of October 6, 2020, all assessment centres and select pharmacies in Ontario require a scheduled appointment for testing. To book a COVID-19 test, please visit the Ontario Government COVID-19 Testing Locations page to find the nearest assessment centre or participating pharmacy and follow the directions to book an appointment (e.g. calling or online booking platform). Please remember that at this time, pharmacies can only accommodate asymptomatic individuals (not showing any symptoms of COVID-19), while assessment centres will accommodate individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
      • If you are seeking testing, please remember to let the assessment centre/pharmacy know that you work in a congregate care setting, as we continue to have priority access for testing.
    • Universal testing is available in Saskatchewan to anyone wishing to be tested by referral only, except where drive-thru options are available. To obtain a referral to a community testing centre, please call Healthline 811, your family physician, or your nurse practitioner.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from October 2 to October 8, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

  • The COVID-19 Screening Protocol was updated to reference other known causes and conditions of symptoms, per the COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms from the Government of Ontario and the updated online self-assessment. Any COVID-19 symptoms are now screened for close contacts, and classroom proximity is considered a form of close contact.
  • We know that you have questions related to possible COVID-19 exposure as our families start to have more social interactions in the community. We want to remind you of the resources that address exposure and can help address these questions:

An Update on the Visitor Checklist:

Please continue to use the current COVID-19 Visitor Checklist to record visiting information. We are working on an optimized version, the COVID-19 Visiting Record,  that will be available in the ODB to provide direction on required documentation for Essential, Non-Essential, Designated Visitors, and Essential Overnight Visits. We apologize for the delay in releasing the new version; we have been reviewing your feedback and applying it as we update and develop new resources.  The updated version will be released in the coming week and a program email will be sent to notify you once it is launched. Thank you for your patience!

EMPLOYEES TAB

  • We have written a short Back to School Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to support you in deciding your next steps based on different scenarios related to children/housemates going back to school and COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.
  • The Employees tab has been updated with information on testing guidelines for both Ontario and Saskatchewan:
    • As of September 25, 2020, select pharmacies in Ontario are offering free COVID-19 testing by appointment only.  You can view the list of participating pharmacies and, if you are asymptomatic (not showing any symptoms of COVID-19), you can call to book an appointment to get tested. All public health measures must be followed when going for a test, including wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, and frequent handwashing. If you are feeling ill on the date of your appointment, please stay home and re-schedule your test at an assessment centre.
    • Universal testing is available in Saskatchewan to anyone wishing to be tested by referral only, except where drive-thru options are available. To obtain a referral to a community testing centre, please call Healthline 811, your family physician, or your nurse practitioner.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

COVID-19 Updates from September 25 to October 1, 2020

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

Thank you for your continuous feedback on the resources for visits! The visiting resources were reviewed and the following were updated to meet your needs and those of locations as you welcome different types of visitors:

  • The COVID-19 Visitor Checklist is now titled “COVID-19 Visiting Record” and has been optimized to provide direction on required documentation for Essential, Non-Essential, Designated Visitors, and Essential Overnight Visits. The updated version will be released in the ODB next week and a program email will be sent to notify you once it is launched. Please continue to use the current COVID-19 Visitor Checklist that is in the ODB until the new one is published.
  • The Visiting Guide for Locations and Visiting Guide for Families and Friends (also at christian-horizons.org/coronavirus) have been updated to remind designated visitors that some locations may have certain times where visits can more easily be accommodated.

We acknowledge that these are challenging times as we all adjust our family life to the new normal- whether that is organizing homeschooling, arranging online learning, or sending your kids to school. We know you have questions related to possible COVID-19 exposure as our families start to have more social interactions in the community. We want to remind you that there are resources available that address exposure and can help with questions that you may have:

Thank you for bearing with us as we navigate these realities with COVID-19 surging in different communities at times. We know you have questions – we do too. We continue to seek clarity and the best practices for your wellness and safety. Please continue to connect with your direct supervisor to address your specific situations and questions. We will review all of our resources in greater depth in the coming weeks to support you as best as we can in making the best decisions for you, your family (e.g. “what should I do if my child has the sniffles or a cough?”), and people who use our services.

Please do not hesitate to continue to ask your questions or provide feedback on forms, protocols, checklists, etc. It has been your feedback and diligence that helps to make things better every day!

Premier Doug Ford has announced COVID-19 tests will be available in up to 60 pharmacies across the province of Ontario starting on Friday. Please continue to be vigilant, practice good hygiene, and seek testing when needed. More information can be found here; below are some quick facts about the initiative:
  • Beginning September 25, up to 60 pharmacy sites, including Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and independent pharmacies, will provide testing for Ontarians with no COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Testing is available at any of the province’s 150 assessment centres currently open, and at participating pharmacies starting Friday. To find the closest pharmacy or assessment centre, please visit Ontario.ca/covidtest.
  • Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill. If you are experiencing any symptoms or worried you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should get tested at an existing assessment centre.
  • For added protection, download the COVID Alert app from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org