News

  1. Home
  2. Fact Sheet: Update About VON Safety Measures During COVID-19

Fact Sheet: Update About VON Safety Measures During COVID-19

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY?

VON is committed to protecting the health and safety of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We follow recommendations from provincial government authorities and all levels of public health agencies to keep everyone safe and stop the spread of the virus. 

VON’s most important priority is the health and safety of our clients, their families, our employees and volunteers. Here are some of the health and safety measures we are continuing to take during the pandemic:

  • All VON staff are required to screen themselves for illness, every day. Employees are instructed to come to work only if they pass all screening questions, do not have any symptoms or are cleared to come to work by public health. 
     
  • VON care providers are provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and are trained to wear it according to direction from Public Health. All PPE worn by VON employees meets or exceeds recognized standards set by Health Canada and other health agencies.  All VON care providers wear a surgical mask and eye protection for any direct client care. If an employee is ever faced with a situation where proper PPE is not available to them, they will not provide care until the suitable PPE is available.
     
  • VON employees screen all clients before delivering any care or service. If a client answers ‘yes’ to any of the screening questions, our care providers take additional precautions, put on suitable PPE for the visit and provide the client a VON-issued face mask to wear while receiving care. VON employees also report all positive screening results to VON management and to Public Health to determine next steps for the client’s care.
     
  • VON care providers are trained to safely put on and remove any PPE and are regularly checked to make sure they are doing this safely. This includes handwashing before and after wearing PPE to reduce spread of germs and illness. 
     
  • At VON offices, clinics and locations where programs and services are delivered, we are screening everyone before they enter the premises. Anyone who answers ‘yes’ to any of the screening questions will not be permitted to enter VON spaces unless prior arrangements have been made and extra precautions are in place to ensure the safety of other clients and staff.
     
  • All VON offices, clinics and locations have increased infection prevention and control procedures and are following best practices to keep our clients and employees safe.
     
  • To ensure our employees’ safety, we are encouraging infection prevention and control measures suitable to their roles. Wherever possible, VON employees are practicing physical distancing. VON employees who can work from home are currently doing so. 
     
  • All VON employees are required to follow federal and provincial directives related to self-isolation, gatherings and travel.


WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP US ALL STAY SAFE?

We all have an important role to play in ensuring that our families, friends, neighbours and health care workers remain healthy and safe throughout the pandemic. Here are some simple things you can do to keep yourself, your loved ones and your VON care provider safe:

  • Check yourself and your household members for illness, with the help of government-provided screening questions.
  • If you or your family member is a VON client and has responded yes to any of the screening questions, a VON employee may offer you or the client a mask to wear while care is delivered. Please follow the VON employee’s instructions on how to wear and store this mask safely. 
     
  • When a VON care provider is in your home, if possible, please move all family members who are not involved in VON’s client care to another room or maintain a physical distance of at least 2 meters or 6 feet. 
     
  • In general, please practice good health hygiene. Cough or sneeze into your elbow and wash your hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds. Please remember to clean high-touch surfaces in your home like counters, door handles, light switches and railings frequently. 
     
  • Please minimize contact with other people and follow all provincial directives on social gatherings and maintain a safe distance at least 2 meters or 6 feet from other people. 
     
  • When it is not possible to maintain a safe distance from others, please wear a face covering.


For more information about coronavirus and COVID-19, please visit: 

For VON-specific information, please visit von.ca/en/covid-19