Return To Practice During COVID-19

I’m happy to welcome you back with my new safety protocols in place. I want to ensure that all of my clients feel safe when they come in for their massage therapy appointment and are aware that the utmost care has gone into establishing sanitary safety measures to fall in line with BC Government, WorkSafe BC and the CMTBC. These are the steps I will be taking to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

While these measures reduce the risk to a minimum, please understand that the nature of massage therapy requires close contact and risk cannot be fully eliminated. Changes to this protocol will be made accordingly if the above mentioned regulated bodies make changes to the guidelines.

Screening – Prior to  Arrival

• Please complete the pre-screening that will be emailed to you 48 hours prior to your appointment.

• 24 hours before appointment - I will call you to do a 2nd pre-screening to reduce the likelihood of someone coming in with COVID-19

• If you are experiencing a cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue or flu-like symptoms please do not show up for your appointment and instead call 8-1-1 for medical advice. Your cancellation fee will be waved under this circumstance

• I encourage you to use the bathroom at home before you arrive. Ours will be used for emergency cases only

Screening - Upon Arrival

• Please arrive at your scheduled appointment time. If you arrive early, please wait in the courtyard

• A COVID-19 screening will be done at the door

• An Informed Consent to Treatment and Declaration of Health form must be signed – this will ensure that patients understand that while I’ve taken measures to minimize the risk of transmission, the nature of massage therapy means that physical distancing is not possible in the treatment room.

• Hand washing (20 seconds min) or sanitization will be required upon entry and before exiting

What to Bring

• Each client will need to come in for their massage therapy appointment wearing a cloth or disposable MASK. If you do not have a mask, disposable masks are available for fee

• Please wear or bring shorts, tank top/sports bra to expose areas to be treated

What NOT to Bring

• Please arrive at your appointment unaccompanied unless you are a minor who requires a parent/guardian, or you need assistance

 

During Appointment

• Physical distancing will be practiced everywhere except in the treatment room

• Both therapist and patient will avoid face touching. Tissues will be available for itches etc.

Therapist Infection Control Practices

• Therapist will wear a mask

• Will perform daily self-monitoring for symptoms

• Is committed to cleaning and disinfecting touched surfaces and maintaining the cleaning guidelines laid out by BC Centre for Disease and Control

Payment / Receipt

• Cashless payment is encouraged

• Preferred methods being E-transfers, and direct billing (I’m working on setting this option up, please bear with me on the learning curve)

• A receipt will be emailed to you

After Appointment

• Cleaning and disinfecting all high touch surfaces before and after each client

• Lotion bottle, table, head rest, chair, door handles, counters, trays, electronics etc.

 

Therapists Commitment

• Practice social distancing (2 meters apart) for all non-treatment interactions

• Limiting the number of places visited outside of work

• Avoid gathering in groups

• Limit contact with high risk population

• Disclose the number of contacts and places visited with full transparency

• Will not be treating clients if they feel unwell in any way

• PPE such as gloves and goggles will be available for therapist to use upon client’s request

COVID-19 Infection

• If a patient alleges, they caught COVID-19 from the therapist or near the same time frame as their appointment:

•The therapist will call public health at 8-1-1 and report the alleged transmission

• The therapist will not provide massage therapy treatment to anyone until public health has investigated and provided direction

• If the client tests positive, the therapist will call and notify all clients seen since the last appointment or the past 14 days, whichever is longer

• The therapist will immediately self-isolate until the investigation and the public health direction has been provided

• Every surface that a therapist or client touches will be cleaned after

Treatment Room

• Sheets placed straight into the laundry machine

• No touch garbage bins

• Cleanable patient chair/sofa

• All furnishings in the treatment room is washable

Cleaning Supplies

• Hard-surface disinfectants – Preempt RTU, Preempt whipes, Spray Nine, Lysol Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lysol Whipes – all approved on government of Canada website

• Vinyl surface cleaner – Myo-ther Genie Plus

• Hand sanitizer – minimum 60% alcohol

• Cleaning cloths

• Spray bottles for hard surface cleaner and vinyl surface cleaner

• Vinyl pillow easily cleaned between patients

• Bolsters easily cleaned between patients

• Hand towels for single use

I know that the routines will feel different and take some getting used to. With everyone’s cooperation we will get through this and come back to an improved normal.

Thank you for your help and your business!

Marieta Akalski | Sports Massage Therapy

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Marieta Akalski | Massage Therapy