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Programs & Services

Programs and Services

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Leading from the Inside Out
Leading from the Inside Out provides a safe space for leaders in continuing care to share their challenges and learn self-care practices.
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The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum is recognized as best-practice in violence prevention training for health care workers.
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Guidelines & Regulations

Guidelines and Regulations

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WorkSafeBC has acknowledged an error in calculating the 2025 SafeCare BC levy, which is included in the premiums paid by our two member employer groups–those providing community health support services (classification unit 766006) and those in long-term care (classification unit 766011).
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The Province has introduced a new masking policy for all healthcare workers who provide direct care effective immediately. Staff Requirements Visitor Guidance With an increase in viral respiratory illnesses (VRI) across the province, the Ministry of Health has introduced new masking measures to help control the spread of these illnesses. It's important to remember that […]
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Safety Huddle

Working Alone in Long-term Care

This safety huddle provides supervisors, managers, or employers with information to guide workers toward a better understanding of the processes and procedures for keeping them safe when working alone or in isolation.

Learning Outcomes

After this huddle, workers should be able to: 

  • Identify workplace hazards.
  • Describe how preparation and following procedures reduce risk. 
  • Recall how to report hazards, unsafe acts, conditions, incidents, or injuries. 

Instructions

  • Collect and review your working alone policy, any related procedures or processes, and our additional resources.
  • Read the scenario out loud. Then, using the guiding questions, facilitate a discussion about recognizing the hazards, reducing the risks of working alone, and reporting unsafe actions or conditions.  

Scenario

Billie is a new care aide working the evening shift and is responsible for residents in the west wing. Before starting their tasks, they reviewed all the care plans and communication logs. As Billie enters Ms. Williams’ room, Billie notices that Ms. Williams seems agitated.

Notes to the Huddle Leader

  • All workers should be familiar with hazards associated with working alone, and the requirement to promptly report concerns to their supervisor.  
  • The supplemental resources can be integrated into the huddle as needed and provided to workers as a quick reference.

Guiding Questions

  1. What steps should Billie take to ensure their safety before entering a resident’s room?
  2. If a resident’s behavior becomes a concern, how should Billie respond?
  3. What should they do if they need to leave?
  4. Where can Billie find information on workplace hazards?
  5. How should Billie report their observations or any new safety concerns?
  6. If you are unsure of any content within this safety huddle, email us for further explanation at info@safecarebc.ca

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Safety Huddle - Working Alone in Long-Term Care
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Working Alone in Long-term Care

Additional Resources

Use the point of care assessment template below to identify the risks in each of the four boxes that may have lead to the resident becomeing responsive.
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Learn when it is safe to transfer a person in care and know what to do if it is not safe to transfer.
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Starting at $12
Employees who work alone or in isolation tend to be more vulnerable to safety hazards than those who have coworkers present.
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When working alone, you may face a risk of violence, as the care you are providing may cause a client to feel nervous or agitated. Being exposed to violent or aggressive behaviour is not part of your job.
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More Safety Huddles

A strong organizational culture fosters employee engagement, collaboration, and productivity, while a weak or toxic culture can lead to dissatisfaction and high turnover.
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Safety huddles are important because they focus on improving staff safety by creating solutions and opportunities to communicate, helping build a culture of safety, encouraging positive change within the workplace, and providing staff with a chance to share important information.
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Learn to recognize feeling unsettled, use effective self-settling strategies in situations self-setting may be helpful.
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Learn about what bullying and harassment is and when to report it.
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People living with dementia can experience changes in how they understand and process language, which can affect how they communicate.
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Learn to follow proper hand washing procedures.
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Working with clients or residents and their families is not always easy. You may not be able to control how others act, but you can control how you respond.
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View Safety Huddle
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We strive to empower those working in the continuing care sector to create safer, healthier workplaces by fostering a culture of safety through evidence-based education, leadership, and collaboration.
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