December 11, 2024- Gastroenteritis Outbreak Declared Cedar Home Area
In collaboration with Public Health, the Cedar Home Area has declared a Gastroenteritis Outbreak with four (4) residents with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. The home area also remains under enhanced surveillance for respiratory-related to one (1) resident testing positive for COVID. Family members of those residents affected have been notified.
The following infection control measures are to be implemented:
- Surgical Masks to be worn in the Cedar Home Area
- Ensure the Public Health 4 moments of Hand Hygiene are followed
- Resident's Hand Hygiene before all meals and regularly throughout the day
- Ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used properly- including donning before entering and removing before exiting the isolated resident’s room
- Residents are to remain in the affected home area at this time to reduce the risk of spread
- *If residents insist on leaving the home area, please assist them with masking or a visor and encourage outdoor visiting.
- Twice daily respiratory symptom screening in Cedar Home Area
- Immediate isolation of any residents with new symptom onset
- Cohorting of staff, when possible.
- Cohorting of residents and only small group activities in the home area for unaffected residents. Isolated residents to receive one-to-one activities.
- Twice daily high-touch surface cleaning- changing disinfecting product to 1-minute contact time
- Increased hand hygiene and PPE audits in the home area with coaching
- Limit of two (2) essential caregivers at a time in the Cedar Home Area
- No General Visitors to the Cedar Home Area
Please ensure that you are following the IPAC practices listed above as they are in place to protect residents, staff, essential caregivers, and visitors.
We will continue to provide updates as we move through the outbreak.
If you have any questions, please contact the Nurse in Charge or Stephanie Albert, IPAC Lead. stephanie.albert@muskoka.on.ca
