Ontario Long-Term Care Homes Urged to Close Five IPAC Gaps Before Respiratory Season

Infection Shield outlines practical checks for surveillance, supplies, staff competency, outbreak response and governance before fall virus activity increases.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, August 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ontario long-term-care leaders should use the remaining pre-season weeks to test whether infection prevention and control systems work reliably on every shift – not merely whether written plans are current, Infection Shield Consulting advises.

Public Health Ontario reported that the 2025-26 influenza season began early and was intense: influenza test positivity exceeded 5% in mid-November and peaked at 35.7% in mid-December. That history does not predict the timing or severity of the 2026-27 season, but it reinforces the value of completing operational readiness work before respiratory-virus indicators rise.

Ontario’s long-term-care regulation requires regular infectious-disease surveillance, auditing of IPAC practices, an interdisciplinary IPAC team and immediate action when symptoms indicating infection are identified. The practical test is whether those requirements translate into consistent action at the bedside, on evenings, nights and weekends.

Five readiness gaps deserve immediate attention:

1. Surveillance and escalation. Confirm that staff can recognize changes, document symptoms completely, initiate appropriate precautions, notify clinical and IPAC leadership, and escalate to public health according to current direction.

2. Point-of-care supplies and environmental readiness. Check PPE, hand-hygiene products, disinfectants and specimen supplies for availability, expiry, correct placement and appropriate use. Verify weekend and after-hours replenishment, not only central inventory.

3. Observed staff competency. Education completion does not demonstrate practice. Use direct observation and coaching to validate hand hygiene, point-of-care risk assessment, PPE selection and removal, additional precautions, and cleaning of shared equipment.

4. An operational outbreak plan. Conduct a short readiness drill that confirms who starts the line list, contacts public health, activates enhanced measures, communicates with staff and families, coordinates staffing, and confirms access to required supplies and testing processes.

5. Governance that closes the loop. Use a structured organizational risk assessment, assign each priority gap to an owner and deadline, and re-audit corrective actions. Findings that are not verified as closed should remain visible to leadership.

“Respiratory-season readiness is not a binder review. It is whether the night shift can identify a change, start the right precautions, find the right supplies and escalate without delay,” said Kamyab Ghatan, M.D., AL-CIP, CIC, LTC-CIP, Founder and President of Infection Shield Consulting Inc. “Homes should test those pathways now, while there is still time to correct them.”

Infection Shield Consulting provides respiratory-season readiness reviews for long-term-care homes, combining leadership and program review with focused observations of surveillance, hand hygiene, PPE, environmental practices and outbreak workflows. Homes receive a prioritized action plan designed to support practical implementation and follow-up.

Ontario long-term-care leaders can request a respiratory-season readiness consultation at https://infectionshield.ca/free-consult/.

Kamyab Ghatan
Infection shield consulting Inc.
+1 416-999-6368
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Written By: EIN Presswire