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ontario regulation 246/21

made under the

Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007

Made: April 1, 2021
Filed: April 1, 2021
Published on e-Laws: April 6, 2021
Printed in The Ontario Gazette: April 17, 2021

Amending O. Reg. 79/10

(GENERAL)

1. (1) Subsection 20 (1) of Ontario Regulation 79/10 is revoked and the following substituted:

Cooling requirements

 (1) Every licensee of a long-term care home shall ensure that a written heat related illness prevention and management plan for the home that meets the needs of the residents is developed in accordance with evidence-based practices.

(1.1) The heat related illness prevention and management plan must, at a minimum,

(a)  identify specific risk factors that may lead to heat related illness and require staff to regularly monitor whether residents are exposed to such risk factors and take appropriate actions in response;

(b)  identify symptoms of heat related illness and require staff to regularly monitor whether residents exhibit those symptoms and take appropriate actions in response;

(c)  identify specific interventions and strategies that staff are to implement to prevent or mitigate the identified risk factors that may lead to heat related illness and to prevent or mitigate the identified symptoms of such an illness in residents;

(d)  include the use of appropriate cooling systems, equipment and other resources, as necessary, to protect residents from heat related illness; and

(e)  include a protocol for appropriately communicating the heat related illness prevention and management plan to residents, staff, volunteers, substitute decision-makers, visitors, the Residents’ Council of the home, the Family Council of the home, if any, and others where appropriate.

(1.2)  The heat related illness prevention and management plan for the home shall be evaluated and updated, at a minimum, annually in accordance with evidence-based practices.

(1.3) The heat related illness prevention and management plan for the home shall be implemented by the licensee every year during the period from May 15 to September 15 and it shall also be implemented,

(a)  any day on which the outside temperature forecasted by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the area in which the home is located is 26 degrees Celsius or above at any point during the day; and

(b)  anytime the temperature in an area in the home measured by the licensee in accordance with subsections 21 (2) and (3) reaches 26 degrees Celsius or above, for the remainder of the day and the following day.

(2) Section 20 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsections:

(3) The licensee shall ensure that every designated cooling area in the home is served by air conditioning which is operated, as necessary, to maintain the temperature in the designated cooling area at a comfortable level for residents during the period and at the times described in subsection (1.3).

(4) In this section,

“air conditioning” includes any mechanical cooling system that is capable of maintaining the temperature at a comfortable level for residents during periods of hot weather.

2. Section 21 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsections:

(2) Every licensee of a long-term care home shall ensure that the temperature is measured and documented in writing, at a minimum in the following areas of the home:

1.  At least two resident bedrooms in different parts of the home.

2.  One resident common area on every floor of the home, which may include a lounge, dining area or corridor.

3.  Every designated cooling area, if there are any in the home.

(3) The temperature required to be measured under subsection (2) shall be documented at least once every morning, once every afternoon between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. and once every evening or night.

(4) The licensee shall keep a record of the measurements documented under subsections (2) and (3) for at least one year.

3. Paragraph 11 of subsection 26 (3) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

11.  Seasonal risk relating to heat related illness, including protective measures required to prevent or mitigate heat related illness.

Commencement

4. This Regulation comes into force on the later of May 15, 2021 and the day it is filed.

 

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