COVID-19 information

Information for Clients/Families/Caregivers

The safety of our staff, clients and families continues to be our top priority. Please call your clinic if you have questions about services. Clinic information can be found at Find a Location.

Reminders

• We are screening all clients and those coming with them to the appointment for symptoms of COVID-19. We will be calling before your appointment and asking again when you arrive. If you are feeling unwell, please let us know and we can rebook your appointment.
• Some Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS) locations are within hospitals that may have screening in place. Please follow their directions for entering and exiting the buildings. If you are denied entry for some reason, please call your clinician or the HSNS site and we will be happy to rebook your appointment.
• Our staff are monitoring their health daily. At times this may result in a cancelled appointment. We will rebook as soon as possible.

How care has changed at HSNS

Telehealth

• During the pandemic we have offered telehealth (phone and computer) appointments for our clients. We will continue to offer both in-person and telehealth appointments. Telehealth may involve asking questions about your health, or asking questions about a particular condition in order to give your audiologist or speech language pathologist the critical information they need to help treat you or your loved one. The questions may be asked by any one of our staff. All your information will be kept confidential.

In person: preparing for your visit

• Masks:
  • We are asking all clients, caregivers, and children over 2 years of age to wear a mask. If you or your child has a medical reason not to wear a mask, please let our staff know.
• Screening:
  • Upon arriving at the site, you can let one of our staff know you have arrived. They will likely ask more screening questions. Once the questions have been answered someone will take you into an office to begin your session or we may ask you to wait for a few moments in a pre-arranged seating area.
• Visitor Restrictions:
  • One caregiver or support person is able to accompany each client at this time. No other people, including other children, will be allowed in clinic. For the time being we ask that you follow these rules, and we are always monitoring Nova Scotia Health guidelines for updates. For parents we understand that this is a difficult request. Please ask our staff about other options for appointments and follow up.
• Contact Information:
  • We will be asking for the name and contact information of everyone coming into one of our sites. The reason we will be asking is that in the event that we have an exposure to COVID-19, this information will help Public Health contact everyone that may have been exposed in a timely manner.   

Public Health Measures to keep you safe

HSNS is following our approved plan in order to provide in-person services.

We will be:

• Asking all clients over the age of 2 years to wear a mask
• Physical distancing as much as possible
• Using the right protective clothing
• Following hand washing protocols
• Cleaning and disinfecting all equipment after each use
• Offering virtual appointments when requested by clients

Information for our partners

What has HSNS done in response to COVID?

• Continued to offer services via telehealth appointments when requested
• Worked from an approved plan to transition to in-person services
• Trained staff on infection control measures including hand hygiene, appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the Point of Care Risk Assessment
• Ensured that all staff have the necessary protective equipment
• Implemented regular cleaning of all high-touch surface areas in between appointments
• Continued compliance with physical distancing guidelines at all sites
• During periods of increased restrictions, we were not able to offer the same level of service as usual; this affected wait times in certain areas and we are working to get back to where were were. 

Contact us if you have any questions

info@nshsc.nshealth.ca or 1-888-780-3330