The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on infection prevention and control (IPAC) in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) homes. To assist LTC homes in providing IPAC education for not only their team members but to all members of the LTC community (family members, volunteers, residents and more), the Ontario CLRI at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is proud to release a new IPAC resource page and eLearning series!
“Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen how crucial IPAC education and measures are for LTC residents, essential caregivers, and team members,” says Audra Thompson-Haile, manager for the Ontario CLRI at the RIA, “Created with guidance from our IPAC expert panel, LTC team members, essential caregivers, and the Ontario Caregiver Organization, our eCourses can help reduce infection rates and prevent future outbreaks in LTC homes.”
The new eLearning courses will increase IPAC knowledge and skills through IPAC core concepts while empowering learners to protect themselves, residents, their co-workers, and community members. Learners will be able to apply their IPAC knowledge and skills to specific scenarios in LTC homes and situations encountered in the community that can impact or be impacted by their presence in an LTC home.
eLearning courses now available:
- Break the Chain of Transmission: IPAC Core Concepts and Practices (a prerequisite for the other courses in the IPAC eLearning series)
- Types of Transmission and the Chain of Transmission
- Additional Precautions and Routine Practices in Long-term Care
- Applying Best Practices for Hand Hygiene and PPE
- IPAC While Supporting Residents at Mealtime
- IPAC While Travelling To and From an LTC Home
- More coming in summer and fall 2021
The IPAC in LTC courses and training materials have been developed by the Ontario CLRI at the RIA in collaboration with an expert panel of IPAC specialists working in LTC and an advisory panel of LTC team members, essential care partners, and The Ontario Caregiver Organization.