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McCormick Home

Recently, McCormick Home began administering rapid antigen test testing for its staff, essential caregivers, support workers, and anyone entering the home. This new practice marks a departure from the standard COVID-19 test that has been regularly conducted at the home. Under the previous model, staff were being tested as frequently as once every week to determine possible COVID-19 infections, and results were received between 48 and 72 hours later. Under the new PanBio rapid antigen test, staff, essential caregivers, students, volunteers and support workers are being tested up to three times a week. The advantage is that results are received within minutes. This new model enables McCormick Home to more closely monitor and respond to any signs of possible infection more quickly, thereby enabling the home to protect their community members in a more proactive way.

Since rapid antigen testing occurs on a more frequent basis, the speed of the results gives us a more accurate picture of any threat of infection and is an important step toward keeping our residents, essential caregivers, staff, students, volunteers and support workers to the home safe. When the time comes that general visitors can resume visiting, rapid testing would also be administered to ensure the utmost protection for our most vulnerable population.

The home has been communicating regularly with families and caregivers to advise them of the changes in protocol associated with this new testing surveillance directive.

For more information on rapid antigen testing, please visit the Health Canada website.

McCormick Dementia Services

The McCormick Day Program is currently transitioning to the BD Veritor rapid antigen testing for its staff.  We are pleased to be involved in this pilot program, as what we learn will assist other adult day programs in the Ontario Health West region with their own screening practices. We invite you to take a virtual tour of our McCormick Day Program Rapid Antigen Testing Lab to learn more.