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Constellation Speech Therapy Infection Prevention Policy
Constellation Speech Therapy values your health and safety. We have developed this infection prevention and control (IPC) measure based on the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologist of Ontario (CASLPO) and public health guidelines in both Ontario and Quebec. These guidelines will continue to be reviewed and revised in accordance with CASLPO and public health guidelines. Our goal is optimally maintaining the safety of our clients and our team members.
Risk Assessment
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Constellation Speech Therapy team members will perform a Point of Care Risk Assessment before completing any in-person visits to determine the level of risk present in a situation. This includes appointments in the community, within schools and within the home. The goal is to identify potential risks and then decide on preventative measures to eliminate or control the risks. to This involves assessing the risk posed to themselves and the client, and take the necessary precautions (including appropriate PPE, rescheduling the session, or opting to use virtual care instead of in-person).
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Constellation Speech Therapy team members will follow public health guidelines within the province in which the client service is being rendered.
Hand Hygiene
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Constellation Speech Therapy team members will use an alcohol-based run (hand sanitizer) or wash their hands with soap and water thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds.
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Hand hygiene will be practiced before and after appointments.
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Alcohol-based hand rubs: To be used only when hands are not visibly soiled using a product containing a minimum of 60% ethanol.
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Hand washing: To be used when hands are visibly soil, using a pump-based liquid soap product.
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Hand hygiene will be practiced after touching the client, shared services, and shared materials (e.g., therapy materials, equipment, toys).
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Hand Rub Technique (for use with alcohol-based hand rubs)
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Remove hand and arm jewelry
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Apply 1-2 pumps of product (approximately loonie-sized amount)
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Spread product over all hand surfaces, paying special attention to fingertips, between fingers, and back of hands.
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Rub hands for 15-20 seconds, until the product is fully dry.
Hand Wash Technique
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Remove hand and arm jewelry
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Wet hands with warm water
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Apply 1-2 pumps of soap
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Vigorously rub all parts of the hand, for a minimum of 15 seconds, paying special attention to fingertips, between fingers, and back of hands.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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Personal protective equipment is required when there is a risk of coming into contact with potential sources of infection. PPE includes gloves, face shields, face masks. PPE is not a substitute for hand hygiene. It is another tool that a team member may elect to use after performing the Point of Care Risk Assessment.
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Gloves must be changed between each interaction and not reused.
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Masks are used to protect the team member's nose, mouth and eyes from splashes and/or sprays of potentially infections materials (e.g., droplets from sneezing and coughing).
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Equipment Sanitization
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Any therapy materials, including assessment tools, writing tools, toys, resources and equipment will be disinfected before and after use. The process for disinfection of equipment may include using an antibacterial wipe, antibacterial spray or washing with antibacterial soap and water.
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Any therapy material that comes into contact with mucus membranes, non-intact skin or blood will require high-level disinfection.
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Any single use item will be disposed of and not disinfected and reused.
Virtual Care
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Most services provided by Constellation Speech Therapy are completed via virtual care. This is the most frequent method of service delivery used by our team.
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This allows us to see our clients conveniently as well as minimize risk.
We thank you for reviewing Constellation Speech Therapy's infection prevention policy. For further information, please consult our list of resources below, or reach out to info@constellationspeechtherapy.ca .
List of resources consulted:
https://caslpo.com/sites/default/uploads/files/GS_EN_Infection_Prevention_and_Control.pdf
https://ipac-canada.org/photos/custom/pdf/HCW_Core_Competency_Category_Table-2016November(2).pdf
Last Revised: January 2024