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Visitors – Who are you protecting this flu season?
Once again, we are asking all visitors to wear a badge that indicates to the staff how they are participating in preventing infection and the spread of infection during the flu season.

When visitors sign-in at Menno Home, Hospital and TE Assisted Living, they are asked to check off a box indicating their participation in the flu season precautions – either they are wearing a mask OR they have received their annual flu shot.

They are also asked to wear a badge that indicates their participation in the flu prevention program called “BE A FLU SEASON HERO”.

All members of the Menno Place Team are asked to initiate conversations with visitors about this flu season program.

If a visitor is wearing a badge, thank them for being a part of preventing the spread of flu and being a FLU SEASON HERO.

If a visitor is not wearing a badge, please ask them to return to the sign-in table to pick up a badge and wear it while visiting.

Types of badges:

1. Hot pink sticker – this is for either wearing a mask or receiving a flu shot. It is for infrequent visitors. Visitors dispose after use.
2. Hot pink clip-on badge – this is for frequent visitors who have a flu shot. Visitor keeps for future visits.
3. Bright green clip-on badge – this is for frequent visitors who have not had a flu shot. Visitor keeps for future visits.

FAQs:

1. Why are we doing the Flu Season Hero Awareness Campaign?
   We are working diligently with staff and visitors toward a zero-outbreak goal for Menno Home, Hospital and Terrace East Assisted Living. This goal will be impossible to achieve without the active involvement of our visitors. The badges are another way to invite visitors to do their part in preventing the spread of infection.
2. Who is expected to wear a badge?
   Everyone who visits is expected to wear a badge, including family members, vendors and entertainers.
3. Who is making sure people wear their badges?
   You are. If you are working in a unit and notice someone without a badge, it is your responsibility to ask them to return to the sign-in sheet to put on a badge during their visit.
4. How will this Flu Season Hero badge campaign make a difference?
   Each visitor will need to think about their role in preventing outbreaks. Outbreaks are stressful to residents and staff. The protocols that you follow during outbreak can be exhausting. We are working proactively with this campaign to raise awareness and individual responsibility from our visitors. We know that most of our outbreaks happen because a virus enters our units from outside. Our goal is to decrease the possibility of infection from the outside.
5. How do visitors know about the Flu Season Hero campaign?
   Posters – There are posters in the elevators and at the sign-in locations.
   Email Newsletters – All primary contacts for residents in residential care are subscribed to our Family, Friends and Residents email newsletter. There are announcements about the campaign in those emails.
   YOU – Each one of you are speaking out to visitors about the campaign. You are educating and inviting visitors to participate and make a difference!
6. Can a staff member be a Flu Season Hero?
   We know that all staff have either received their flu shot or wear a mask to protect our residents from the flu. You are heroes each time you do your part! You go above and beyond every time we have an outbreak and you follow the protocols. Thank you for your diligent work – each one of us doing our part is how we will achieve our goal! The Flu Season Badges are just for visitors to help identify their participation in the program.