COVID-19 Pandemic Clinic Procedures at the Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre
The staff at the Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre look forward to seeing you, and we want to reassure patients that our clinic is a safe environment for all to attend.
Under the direction of all Regulatory Associations, Public Health, and the Chief Medical Officer, guidelines have been drafted to ensure the public’s safety here at the clinic. The safety of you, your family members, and our staff is our number one priority, along with the continued high quality of care that you are accustomed to at the Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre.
We have altered our waiting room and treatment areas to comply with the two-metre distancing rule that all members of the public must adhere to. All magazines, books, toys, and literature have been removed from the waiting area as well. We are fortunate to have four private rooms and three curtained areas that will remain closed, to maintain physical distance. Other treatment beds have been spread apart, and numbers will be limited in our gym area.
We have also acquired all the necessary PPE essential in protecting and preventing the spread of COVID-19. We require all staff and patients to be wearing a mask while in the clinic, and for patients to sanitize their hands before they enter the treatment area. While frequent hand washing/sanitization is still seen as the best method to stop the spread of COVID-19, and is our normal practice at the clinic, if you prefer your therapist to wear gloves during your treatment, we are happy to do so. We have also installed sneeze guards at our front desk for the protection of staff and patients.
All sanitization products follow the Health Canada guidelines from hand sanitizers, hand wipes, and disinfection products. Hand sanitizers all contain 60-80 percent ethanol or 60-70 percent isopropanol mixtures and appropriate DIN numbers. Environment cleaning and disinfection is essential to avoid the possible spread of COVID-19 and all our cleaning products contain an 8-digit DIN number approved by Health Canada. Only the approved disinfectants with a virucidal claim are appropriate for the elimination of viruses in a clinic environment.
The frequency of cleaning and disinfection is dependent on the nature of use/contact of the surface/item in question. Our clinic disinfects all patient contact items between each patient use. Examples are, but not limited to, treatment tables, massage tables, headrests, arm rests, armchairs, stools, traction belts, all machines used, exercise equipment used, and assessment tools. Our towels are always laundered in between patients, and the pillowcases have been replaced by vinyl covers which can be wiped down after use. A patient specific towel will cover the vinyl pillow during your treatment. Our pay terminal will also be wiped down after every use. You are welcome to pay by e-transfer or credit card over the phone, if you prefer not to use our pay terminal. Paid receipts can also be scanned and emailed to you at your request.
Three times per day, there will be a thorough wipe down of all non patient care surfaces including countertops, doorknobs, light switches, phones, computers, plug in cords, handrails, taps, bathrooms etc.
How your visit will look at the clinic
Upon entering the Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre, you will be asked to screen yourself using the COVID-19 screening questionnaire on the door of the clinic. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions, please do not come in, and call us to discuss the details and to rebook your appointment.
Upon entering the Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre, you will be asked to screen yourself using the COVID-19 screening questionnaire on the door of the clinic. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions, please do not come in, and call us to discuss the details and to rebook your appointment.
You will also be required to put your mask on at this point. Please bring your own if you have one, and if you do not, please ask for one at the front desk. The first mask is complimentary, but there will be a charge for the next ones if you did not bring your own mask.
We ask that you minimize the family members that you bring with you, but if you are accompanied by someone, they will also have to complete the screening assessment and wear a mask.
If there are two people in the waiting room, please wait in the glass partition, outside, or in your car before you come in. You can wave to us or call us at 905-876-1515 to let us know you are here and we will come and get you when we are ready for you, or feel free to come in when the waiting room is clear.
If this is your first appointment at the clinic, you will be required to fill out some paperwork and consent forms. If you like, we can email you those forms before your appointment so you can bring them with you already filled out, we can give them to you to be filled out in your car, or if clinic space allows, we will bring you immediately to your treatment spot and you can fill out the paperwork there.
The entry way to the treatment area will be the long hallway ahead of you. Please pause if you see someone in this space and allow them to move before you proceed through. The same rules apply when you leave the treatment area.
The Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre does have a washroom facility for your convenience, but for those of you who reside close to the clinic, we would appreciate that you use the washroom facilities at your home before attending. For those that do require the washroom facilities at the clinic, we ask that you wipe down handles, taps, and hard surfaces after use. Bathrooms will also be wiped down three times per day as part of our extra COVID-19 cleaning procedures.
When you are finished your appointment, you may need to pay or rebook your appointments. You can do this at the front desk, but please maintain social distancing, or you can call us to pay or rebook appointments. It is a good idea to book a few weeks worth of appointments in advance, so you do not have to do so every session. Those appointments can always be cancelled or altered if you do not require them.
We still have a 24-hour cancellation policy, however, there will be leniency toward illness related circumstances. There will be no charge to a patient, if they, or a family member suddenly come down with symptoms of an illness.
We hope that one day life will return to normal, but while we wait, we must follow these procedures to our best capabilities. The Halton Community Rehabilitation Centre is committed to helping you feel safe and comfortable during your time at the clinic. If you feel that you are not ready to have a face to face visit at the clinic but still require physiotherapy services, never fear, we also have a virtual option for you where you can have a telehealth visit in the comfort of your own home. This can be done using either a cell phone, laptop, or tablet. You can also choose a combination of in-home telehealth appointments and face to face clinic visits. We are here to help you in whatever capacity that you require and feel comfortable with.
Finally, we would like to thank all our past and present patients from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support. We are thankful every day for our jobs, our wonderful patients, and the opportunity to participate in your care. We look forward to seeing you.