Our COVID-19 Precautions for Patients

***Updated March 11, 2022***

The nature of physiotherapy and massage therapy means it’s impossible to maintain physical distancing during treatments.  However, we have implemented comprehensive strategies to minimize COVID-19 transmission.  These precautions align with guidelines from the College of Physical Therapists of BC, the College of Massage Therapists of BC, WorkSafeBC, and the Provincial Health Officer.  Despite these steps, we cannot reduce the risk of transmission to zero.  Any physiotherapy or massage treatment involves at least some risk of COVID-19 transmission.


Self-Assess for Symptoms:

  • Please take the BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool prior to each of your appointments: https://bc.thrive.health/covid19/en.
  • Please stay home if you are experiencing any cold, flu or COVID-19-like symptoms, even mild ones. If you are seeing physiotherapy, we’d be happy to do telerehab until you are better.
  • You are required to stay home if you are required to self-isolate according to guidelines posted on the BCCDC.  These include (but are not limited to):
    • If you started having cold/flu/COVID symptoms 5 or less days ago (if you are fully vaccinated), or 10 or less days ago if you are not fully vaccinated.  To leave isolation in either case your symptoms must be significantly improved with no fever for at least 24 hours.
    • You are not fully vaccinated and are a close contact of someone who has cold/flu/COVID symptoms.  You must self-isolate for 10 days from the day of your contact.
    • You were instructed to self-isolate
  • All patients must conduct a health screening questionnaire upon arrival to the clinic. If you do not meet the pre-screening criteria upon physical presentation at the clinic, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment.
  • If an appointment needs to be rescheduled, cancellation fees will be waived.
  • We apologize if we are operating short-staffed, or your appointments are rescheduled by us. Our therapists and staff are following the same procedures.

Ventilation

  • Each room inside our clinic has a HEPA air purifier

Physical Distancing:

  • All clutter, such as magazines and business cards, has been removed from the reception area.
  • There are plexiglass barriers at reception to protect our administrative staff.
  • Therapist schedules are staggered, when possible, to reduce traffic.
  • Patients must come unaccompanied unless they require a parent/guardian, translator, or child to attend. All such companions will also be screened and must follow our COVID-19 procedures.
  • Our waiting room is fully available.  However, if you are not comfortable waiting inside our clinic, you are welcome to wait in your car, our hallway,  or downstairs prior to treatment.  
  • Therapists do not share treatment rooms during their shifts, and only see one patient at a time.
  • Therapist and staff breaks are staggered to minimize incidental contact.
  • Patients cannot use the gym equipment before or after appointments.

Hygiene

  • When you enter our clinic you will be directed to wash your hands. You can wash with soap in the public washrooms or with hand sanitizer in our clinic.
  • As always, therapists wash hands before and after each appointment.
  • Tap limit increased to $250 for Visa and MasterCard.
  • We are encouraging all patients to have their receipts e-mailed, rather than printed.
  • If patients require water, disposable paper cups are available.
  • For physiotherapy patients, please bring any exercise bands/tubing your therapist has provided you. We will not be sharing bands/tubing in the gym.
  • We are unable to offer heat during our physiotherapy treatments. Please heat at home after your appointment.

Enhanced Cleaning:

  • We have implemented enhanced cleaning procedures as per the BC Centre for Disease Control.
  • All high-touch surfaces are cleaned between every patient (i.e. Beds, pillows, chairs, payment pin-pad, hand sanitizer pump, pens, clipboards, gym equipment, electro-modalities, etc.).
  • Additional hourly cleaning includes the transaction top, all door handles, and faucet handles.
  • Therapists will be sanitizing their own rooms between patients and applying freshly laundered linens.
  • Extra time has been allotted between patients for proper room/gym cleaning and sanitization.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

  • Clinic Common Areas: Masks are required.
  • Inside Treatment Rooms: Masks are optional based on therapist and patient mutual consent.  if you want your therapist to wear a mask, they will!  If you and your therapist would both like to remove your masks, you may!

Telerehab Services Still Available!

  • For patients not comfortable attending in-person sessions.
  • For patients requiring home exercise progressions (i.e. ICBC active rehabilitation or WorkSafeBC return to work strengthening).

Any questions, just give us a call, or shoot us an email!