As part of Essential Together and to support organizations to implement policy guidance that welcomes essential care partners into health and care facilities during COVID-19, we have curated learning bundles. These learning bundles centralize tools and resources from organizations across the country that support the safe reintegration of essential care partners.
These tools and resources are arranged into seven learning bundles that follow the respective Policy Guidance for the Reintegration of Caregivers as Essential Care Partners (healthcareexcellence.ca) elements to help organizations identify and prepare essential care partners and then support them as they enter health and care facilities.
The tools and resources are open source, which means you can use and adapt them to fit your local context. If you know of other tools and resources to contribute to these learning bundles, or if there is something specific you are after, please get in touch.
Develop mutual expectations of responsibilities
Establish pre-entry preparation for essential care partners
Establish staff education to understand roles and safety protocols for essential care partners
Establish a rapid appeals process
Establish a clearly communicated screening process
Establish caregiver IDs for essential care partners
We know there is different language and terminology used across the country, but to make sure we provide as much clarity as possible, in this context:
Blanket visitor restrictions refer to restrictions that extend to all “visitors” entering a facility, often without exceptions, including essential care partners.
Essential care partners provide physical, psychological and emotional support, as deemed important by the patient. This care can include support in decision making, care coordination and continuity of care. Essential care partners are identified by the patient (or substitute decision maker) and can include family members, close friends or other caregivers.
Patients includes residents and clients.
Patient partners include patients, residents, clients, families, caregivers and care partners, and others with lived experience who are working together with teams to improve the quality and safety of healthcare.
Health and care facilities refers to hospitals, long-term care/residential care/nursing homes and other congregate care settings as well as primary care and outpatient care settings.
Open family presence policies support the presence of essential care partners at patient bedside at any time and not restricted by “visiting hours.”