Homewood Ravensview has a strong commitment to mental health and addiction and improving lives of Canadians, and as such we will continue to provide services to those who are seeking support and treatment. However, given the current circumstances, we are implementing the following changes to best protect our patients, staff and community.

Effective October 11, 2022:

• Continued patient screening both prior to admission and as they enter treatment.
• Patients are not required to wear masks.
• Patients are required to wear a mask when travelling offsite for an appointment, beginning when they enter the vehicle with a staff member.
• Staff can request a patient to wear a mask if there is medical rationale to do so.  For example, displaying symptoms of a cold or flu.
• Universal Masking will be reinstated if there is risk of a COVID outbreak.

We will continue to monitor this situation and re-evaluate these policies as this event continues to evolve. Our number one priority at Homewood Ravensview is to protect our patients, clients, volunteers and staff. We recognize there are challenges, and that the way forward is to support each other as a community of patients and health providers.

Thank you for joining us in these efforts. We will continue to communicate with you as the situation develops and more information becomes available. This summary has been assembled from a variety of procedures and policies across Homewood Health’s inpatient facilities and is the most accurate and up-to-date reflection Homewood Health’s response to COVID-19. This is not a single policy document, nor is it inclusive of all measures that have been implemented. As COVID-19 continues to evolve in our communities, so do we. We are continuously reviewing public health directives, guidelines and best practices and reviewing our internal processes and procedures to ensure they are aligned.

Health services and caregivers related to mental health and addiction treatment were deemed essential by provinces across Canada in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Homewood Health Centre & Homewood Health Inc. (1) inpatient facilities began implementing strong measures to limit the risk to our clients, staff, and the community in order to continue to respond to the needs of our patients/clients.

At any point during the intake/admission process a client’s start date can be deferred 5 days; clients who have reported symptoms that may or may not be COVID-19, or have any reported behavior that is not aligned with physical distancing recommendations, will be subject to delayed admission.

Referrals:

Accepted to all facilities from all provinces. Referrals are reviewed and triaged for approval by our medical and clinical teams.

Admissions & Travel:

Admissions will be accepted from all provinces, provided the client passes the enhanced screening and intake measures

• For clients travelling from out-of-province to attend treatment we strongly recommend direct flights and that the client follows the travel guidelines from Government of Canada and CDC

Screening:

Enhanced screening at all facilities, based on Public Health recommendations

•  Initial phone screening during the first conversation/phone call;
• First in-person wellness screening when they arrive onsite, including a temperature reading; followed by daily health assessments by medical staff and at least once (1) daily client temperature checks throughout admission;
• If a patient tests positive for COVID-19 and requires transfer to an acute care facility, Homewood staff will manage the transfer of care. Otherwise, the patient can remain in treatment under care of our trained medical staff.

Staff & Facility:

• We have moved to universal masking for all staff in clinical areas throughout the facilities as well as contractors and visitors to the facility.
• Signs encouraging hand hygiene, physical distancing and mask use have been developed, printed, laminated and posted throughout the facility (including in patient rooms)
• Staff are directed to be tested for COVID-19 if they meet the testing criteria and are not to report to work with any of the listed symptoms associated with coronavirus;
• Housekeeping staff have enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of facility with a strong focus on high traffic & high touch areas;
• A COVID-19 Patient Management Protocol policy was established by the Infection Control experts at Homewood in March 2020 and is continuously reviewed and updated to align with the latest public health guidelines;
• External company administered a cutting-edge antimicrobial spray to disinfect high traffic areas, including the common client areas, nursing stations and patient rooms at all facilities.
• Homewood works closely with all local public health units to ensure we are aligned with the latest relevant guidelines, practices and safety precautions.