Infection Control

21 Apr 2010

Spring is in the air and so are the many viruses that are floating out in the community. There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately about viruses and what we can do to stop the spread of infection. The most important thing anyone can do to stop the spread of infection is to wash their hands. Our facility continues to have alcohol sanitizer at the front and back entrances for all the families and visitors to use when they enter or exit the facility. All it takes is 15 seconds of rubbing the liquid on your hands to kill the bacteria on your hands. Many of the families are already using this routine when they visit.

Infection control practices are always improving and Oakwood is committed to ensuring that the safety of our residents and staff is foremost when construction is being done in the facility. You may visit and see infection control signs posted when we are renovating or creating new construction and have plastic walls erected. We follow the CSA standards that were designed from Health Canada to ensure that our practices meet those standards. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact myself, or Clint Singer, our Environmental Supervisor.

In regards to influenza, the influenza season begins in late fall and lasts until the end of April. All of our residents have received their flu shot unless it is contraindicated by their family doctor. If we experience an outbreak and need to close our facility to visitors, we will contact the families and let them know that we are closed. We all have our fingers crossed that it will miss us again!! Signs are posted on our entrance doors with the signs and symptoms of influenza and ask families not to visit if they are experiencing these symptoms until they are feeling better.