Unionville Home Society’s top priority is the health and safety of all who work, live and visit on our campus of care.
OUTBREAK UPDATE – Union Villa LTC
April 24, 2025: York Region Public Health (YRPH) has declared a Confirmed Influenza Outbreak on Buttonville Home Area as of April 23, 2025. We continue to have residents experiencing mild respiratory symptoms. We have closed the common areas such as the lounge and comfort corners. DementiAbility items will not be accessible at this time due to the nature of the outbreak.
Until further notice all communal activities for residents of Buttonville are on hold. Unfortunately, residents are not permitted to leave the Home Area, unless exiting the building with family and masking must be done thorough their travel in the building.
All essential caregivers visiting their loved ones on the Buttonville are required to wear masks and eye protection during their visit. Physical distancing and hand hygiene protocols are strongly recommended. Please restrict your visit to your loved one only, and please keep the visit in the resident room or outside the building. As always, please postpone your visit if you are not feeling well.
Thank you for helping to keep residents and yourselves safe. Questions can be directed to Susanna Shaji at sshaji@uhs.on.ca or ext.4233 or the Nurse Manager on duty (ext. 4251) for exemptions such as resident palliation
Checking in at Union Villa LTC
While active screening is no longer required, our Customer Service staff are available 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm daily to greet you and provide check-in details.
Please self screen before entering Union Villa LTC with the following questions:
Have you had any of the signs/symptoms identified below in the last 48 hours?
- Shortness of breath
- Congested or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea
- Decreased sense of taste or smell
- Cough
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Chills or fever
- Muscle or joint pain
If you answer YES to any of the questions above, please do not enter the building.
If you are visiting a resident who is receiving palliative care, please contact the Nurse Manager at ext. 4251.
Union Villa LTC strongly recommends reviewing the following education tools;
1. Putting on PPE guidance document: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/ipac/ppe-recommended-steps
The home also strongly recommends watching the following videos:
2. Putting on full PPE for a room on droplet/contact precautions: Bing Videos or https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=donning+and+doffing+full+ppe+public+health+ontario&&mid=2F0EEAAB9B539E420C7B2F0EEAAB9B539E420C7B&&FORM=VRDGAR
3. Taking off full PPE: Bing Videos or https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=donning%20and%20doffing%20full%20ppe%20public%20health%20ontario&mid=B73EE1BA40C4157BC9F9B73EE1BA40C4157BC9F9&ajaxhist=0
4. How to wash hands: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/videos/ipac-handwash
5. How to use alcohol based hand rub (ABHR): https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/videos/ipac-handrub
INFECTION CONTROL AND PREVENTION TIPS:
For those Essential Caregivers and General Visitors who would like to review how to prevent the spread of infection at Union Villa, York Region Public Health has provided training which will help protect our residents and your families at home from microorganisms. The link below will direct you to the optional yet strongly recommended training and will generate a certificate which can be provided to the home for our records. Please help us protect our loved ones over the fall/winter months so we can have a happy and health season.
LINK: Training for Essential Caregivers, Visitors and Families at Group Living Homes | York Region
If you are taking your loved one to an appointment or on a social visit, please encourage them to wear a mask and avoid their exposure to anyone who may not be feeling well.
Our best defenses against infection are immunizations, hand washing and adherence to IPAC practices which include social distancing and the proper use of PPE. Remember that you are not only protecting yourself but also those around you.
VISITOR/CAREGIVER RECOMMENDATIONS
Anyone caring for symptomatic residents must wear full PPE, including masks, gloves, gowns and eye protection. Proper hand hygiene protocols must be observed to prevent the spread of infection.
Caregivers, support workers, or individuals visiting a resident receiving end of life care are allowed when a resident is isolating or resides in a home or area of the home in an outbreak, provided they are able to comply with the PPE recommendations.
Healthy essential caregivers who choose to visit during an outbreak and who are not going to be providing direct care to an ill resident should be asked to:
- Wear PPE as directed
- Visit residents only in their rooms and avoid communal areas
- If possible, visit only one resident and leave the facility immediately after the visit
- If visiting a loved one at a different location, it is recommended that the healthy resident(s) (non-outbreak case) be visited first
- Not mingle with other residents
Recommended Masking in Long-Term Care for Non-Outbreak Situations
- Staff, students, support workers, and volunteers must wear a mask when in resident areas indoors, and
- Visitors and caregivers are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in resident areas indoors except when with the resident in the resident’s room or when eating or drinking with a resident in communal spaces. If a resident in a shared room is uncomfortable with others removing their mask, a designated space will be arranged by the Nurse Manager to enable the roommate to have visitors without masking.
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CAMPUS PROGRAMS:
Adult Day Program offers regular in-person programming in addition to virtual programs for registered clients. For more information, please contact (905) 477-2822 ext. 4265.
Unionville Community Centre for Seniors (UCCS) programs have been temporarily relocated to the following satellite location for 2025:
Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Union Street, Unionville – Monday and Thursday mornings
Central United Church, 131 Main Street, Unionville – Monday to Thursday afternoons
In-person programs and virtual programs are available. All programs require membership and regardless of format require pre-registration. For more information, please call (437) 431-2831 or email uccs@uhs.on.ca