FOR HOME & COMMUNITY CARE PROVIDERS
The CHCA is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada, provincial and territorial government agencies, and NGOs in sourcing the most up-to-date and reliable information and resources to assist home and community care providers with questions and concerns regarding COVID-19. Working together we can:
Developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic are evolving daily and, as such, the resources provided are subject to change. The CHCA will continue to monitor and update this site as new information becomes available.
WHEN AND WHAT
DONNING AND DOFFING
For up-to-date notices and directives, please visit the provincial / territorial website pages dedicated to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccination Tool Kit for Health Care Providers 
(Public Health Agency) Includes Guidance, Vaccine Safety, Additional Resources.
Myth busters provided through the World Health Organization addresses the mis-information and concerns.
How to care for someone with with COVID-19 at home 
Advice for caring for someone with COVID-19, including how to protect yourself, your family and others in your community.
Comprehensive Room-by-Room Home Safety Guide for Older Adults
An article outlining safety tips to make the home as safe as possible to lessen the chances of a fall with some simple adaptations.
COVID Caregiver Back-Up Plan
(McMaster University/Health Canada/Government of Ontario) Online customizable tool for primary caregivers to list their caregiver tasks, care provider schedule, medication list, preferences of the person they care and other important information.
Creating a Caregiver Contingency Plan
(Ontario Caregiver Organization) Guidance to family caregivers, specifically to help them tackle how to create a back up plan should they need to self-quarantine or become ill themselves.
Ottawa Personal Decision Guide for Health or Social Decisions
(Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) 2-page form, supported by video examples, that can be used by healthcare professionals to facilitate shared decision making.
Decision Aid for Residents and Families – Move from LTC
(National Institute of Aging/ Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) 6 steps to prepare caregivers and their loved ones in discussing their options about leaving a long-term care or nursing home during the pandemic.
COVID-19 Conversation Guide for Outpatient Care
A 2-page script aims to make it easier for clinicians to have empowering conversations on the potential impact of COVID-19 on their health, share their worries, values and priorities and to make informed decision.
Seven Tips for Supporting Caregivers
(Caregivers Alberta) Tip sheet outlining simple actions and common resources to support caregivers.
The Person Behind the Mask: Communicating with Clients Living with Dementia while Protecting Ourselves (Alzheimer Society) 1-page resource for providers in the community to overcome communication barriers and provide added comfort, that may be hindered from the use of PPE (such as masks).
Tips for Compassionate Communications
(Alberta Health Services) Guidance on sentences to avoid, as well as recommended expressions, when speaking to deteriorating patients and/or family of deteriorating patients
COVID Ready Communication Skills Playbook
(Vital Talk) Advice on how to address patients’ and families’ concerns over triage, deciding, resource allocation, proactive planning and much more.
National Standard in Creating A Carer-Friendly Workplace (complimentary copy for a time-limited only)
(Canadian Standards Association/ McMaster University) Standards to guide employers in supporting their employees who are juggling paid work with unpaid caring responsibilities.
WHEN AND WHAT
Personal Protective Equipment Contact and Droplet – COVID-19.
(Alberta Health Services). Interactive training program (10 – 20 minutes) include (a) choosing the correct PPE (b) storing PPE (c) donning and doffing (d) evaluation.
Personal Protective Equipment – Guidelines (March 27, 2020)
Quick reference guide for selecting the “Type of PPE or Procedure” in long-term care facilities and individual’s homes based on type of worker, activity, presence of suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Respiratory Illness Assessing the Need for Additional Precautions (Isolation)
(Alberta Health Services) Decision tree for front line providers to support assessment and appropriate safety precautions when providing care to individuals with respiratory illness (including COVID-19).
Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19
(Public Health Ontario). PPE recommendations based on the best available evidence including references to legislation, risk assessment and hazard controls. Summary of PPE recommendations for home care and long-term care located on page 8.
Manitoba Provincial guidelines for PPE in the home (Shared Health)
Quick reference guide for risk situation and PPE, including instructions on using masks, eye shields, gloves, gowns.
Emergency Homecare Protocols
(Ontario Personal Support Workers Association). Protocols for non-regulated front-line home care workers in response to COVID-19 outbreak. Includes how to recognize signs of infection, understanding PPE, hand washing, and pathogen life cycle.
BC Emergency Prioritization in a Pandemic: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Allocation Framework (March 2020) (BC Ministry of Health). 85-page document to help guide health care providers in determining type of PPE in the event of a pandemic when demand for PPE overwhelms supply.
DONNING AND DOFFING
How to put on Personal Protective Equipment 
(Winnipeg Regional Health Authority). User-friendly video (1½ minutes), applies to a variety of health care settings.
Guide To Putting On Personal Protective Equipment – Droplet and Contact Precautions
(Nova Scotia Health Authority). Quick reference poster with pictorial decision guide on donning PPE.
How to take off Personal Protective Equipment
(Winnipeg Regional Health Authority). Straightforward video (2 minutes), applies to a variety of health care settings.
PPE: Taking it off in 6 Easy Steps
(Shared Health Manitoba). Bilingual picture poster outlining taking off PPE in 6 easy steps.
Slide Show Guide to PPE
(Alberta Health Services). Narrated slide show (13 minutes) with detailed information including a “knowledge checklist” to reinforce learning.
PPE Checklist for Contact & Droplet Precautions
(Alberta Health Services). Poster outlining the steps to put on and how to safely take off PPE.
Donning and doffing instructions: PPE used for droplet and contact precautions
(Nova Scotia Health Authority). 10-minute video explaining donning and doffing PPE with application to all settings.
Donning, Doffing, and Storage of Healthcare Worker Procedure Masks
(Nova Scotia Health Authority). 3-minute YouTube video with instruction on how to safely put on, take off and store a re-usable mask.
Long Term Care Healthcare Worker Masking Protocol during COVID-19 Pandemic
(Nova Scotia Health Authority). Quick reference listing of frequently asked questions (FAQ)s about mask protocol.
Important Information for Home Care Staff re: COVID-19
(Alberta Health Services). 2-page bulletin with information on Self-Assessment (on-line in Alberta), client assessment and care, contact droplet precautions and recommendations for a “back-up” plan for clients.
Manitoba Provincial guidelines and screening for management of home care visits
(Shared Health Manitoba).3-page memo including screening criteria and actions, reference to PPE, risk assessment flowchart.
Enhanced staff screening
(Shared Health Manitoba). Staff screening criteria and process both leaving home and when arriving at their place of work.
COVID-19 Guidance: Home and Community Care Providers Version 3
(Ontario Ministry of Health). Guidelines on screening, what to do if either the patient or other person in the home screens positive or tests positive for COVID-19, testing process, reporting of for COVID-19, occupational health and safety information.
Message to Home Support Agencies
(NB Department of Social Development). Advice for home support agencies on possible areas in which agencies may modify services to meet clients’ needs as best as possible while also addressing potential staffing issues.
COVID-19 Home Care
(NFLD Department of Health). Message is for home support workers, either employed through agencies or self-managed care providers, and their employers, to support the continued provision of home support services while protecting yourself.
Home Care Workers/Clients Frequently Asked Questions
(NFLD Department of Health). Answers to key operational questions for home care providers during COVID-19
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