Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, ON

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Customer Service Standards

The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 is the first accessibility standard created under the authority of the AODA. Every provider of goods or services shall establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of its goods or services to persons with disabilities. In accordance with this regulation, please see Hotel Dieu Hospital's Customer Service Policies below:

Our Customer Service Stardard Policy

In fulfilling our mission, Hotel Dieu Hospital strives to respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and services and allowing them to benefit from the same service, in the same place and in a similar way as other individuals. We are committed to excellence in serving all individuals including people with disabilities and will carry out our functions and responsibilities in the following areas:

Policies, practices and procedures:

Goods or services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of the individual and in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
Provision of goods or service to people with disabilities will be integrated (i.e., will allow people with disabilities to fully benefit from the same services, in the same place and in the same or similar way as other people) unless an alternative measure is necessary to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from any goods or service.
Persons with disabilities will be given equal opportunity to obtain, use or benefit from goods or service. Use of Service animals, support persons or assistive devices:
Use of guide dogs, service animals, support persons and assistive devices will be permitted at all times, unless excluded by law from the premises.
If a guide dog or service animal is excluded by law, Hotel Dieu Hospital will ensure that other measures are available to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from Hotel Dieu Hospital goods or services.

Disruption of Service:
Public notification will be provided should there be any disruption (planned or unexpected of facilities or services that are usually used by people with disabilities to access our goods or services. Notice will include:

Reason for disruption of service
Anticipated length of duration
Description of alternate facilities or service if available.

Training:

Training about the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities will be provided to staff, volunteers and students; training will be made available to physicians.
Training about the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities will be provided to persons developing hospital policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to the general public or other third parties.
Training will include a review of the purposes of the Act, the requirement of this Regulation and instruction about:
how to interact with persons with various types of disabilities
how to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device, require assistance of a service animal or the assistance of a support person
how to use equipment or devices available on the hospital’s premises or otherwise provided by the hospital that may help to provide goods or services to a person with a disability
what to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the hospital’s goods or services.
Training will be provided as soon as practicable after a staff member is assigned his/her applicable duties.
Training will be ongoing in connection with changes to policies, practices and procedures.
Education & Organizational Development will maintain a record of training provided, including the dates when online training is completed by staff, and the dates that classroom training is provided to physicians, volunteers, students and agents.
The HDH training policy will be available for the public. It is available upon request in a format agreed upon with the person with a disability.

Feedback process:

Patients and families are welcome to contact the Patient Relations Program, which provides a bridge between patients/families and the hospital. The Patient Relations Officer assists patients or families who are experiencing difficulty, or who may have questions, concerns or compliments about their care or service at Hotel Dieu Hospital.
We encourage and welcome feedback and suggestions from patients and families, in person, by letter, or by telephone. Alternative communication formats may be arranged upon request.
Confidentiality is highly respected and maintained.
The Patient Relations Officer is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and can be contacted by calling 613-544-3310 extension 3040 or via e-mail at HDHpatientrep@hdh.kari.net. Voice mail is available after hours.
The Patient Relations Officer provides feedback related to accessibility to the Accessibility Working Group, which makes recommendations to the senior leadership team about the removal of barriers to accessibility. This information can also inform the hospital’s annual Accessibility Plan.

Availability of documents:

HDH accessibility policies will be posted on the hospital’s Internet and Intranet.
All policies and procedure documents related to accessibility will be available to the public in a format agreed upon with the person with a disability.

DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH:

HDH Patient Relations
HDH Education & Organizational Development
HDH Accessibility Working Group

Guide Dogs and Other Service Animals Policy

Hotel Dieu Hospital is committed to promoting, providing and maintaining an environment where respect and dignity is demonstrated at all times. The hospital supports the right of the individual to be accompanied by a Guide dog or other Service animal, except where excluded by law (i.e., where food is prepared/stored/sold; where health and safety requirements apply; where the law restricts certain animal breeds).

Clinical Note: Guide dogs and Service dogs are not pets but working animals. Staff will refrain from touching or petting the guide dog or other service animal.

Definitions:

Guide Dog: a dog trained as a guide for a blind person.
Service Animal: animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks.

PROCEDURE:

Guide dogs and other Service animals may accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the hospital except where excluded by law or where there is a significant risk to a staff person or member of the public (e.g., identified risk of severe allergic reaction).
The person requiring the Guide dog or Service animal may be asked to provide a letter from a physician or nurse, or documentation from the Ministry of the Attorney General’s office confirming the need for a Guide dog or Service animal.
Prior to a clinic visit (whenever possible), the person requiring the Guide dog or Service animal will be encouraged to discuss with staff his/her necessary support arrangements.
Staff will notify the person with a disability where a Guide dog or Service animal is not allowed and help to develop alternative arrangements.
Guide dogs and other Service animals are not permitted where sterile procedures occur in accordance with the Health Promotion and Protection Act including but not limited to:
Operating Rooms
minor procedure rooms or rooms where sterile interventional procedures are occurring
any room where radiation exposure occurs (X-ray, CT)
rooms where transmission-based precautions occur (isolation rooms).
Security should be contacted whenever there is a concern regarding the safety and/or security of persons in the area.
The care of the Guide dog or Service animal is the responsibility of the owner.
If it becomes necessary to separate the Guide dog or Service animal from its owner, staff will make all reasonable efforts to help facilitate the transfer of the animal to a designated person.
HDH accessibility policies will be posted on the hospital’s Internet and Intranet.
All policies and procedure documents related to accessibility will be available to the public in a format agreed upon with the person with a disability.

GUIDELINES:
Tips on interacting with a customer who uses a service animal:

Avoid touching or addressing Service animals: they are working and are required to pay attention at all times.
Avoid making assumptions about the animal. Not all Service animals wear special collars or harnesses. If you are not sure if the animal is a pet or Service animal, ask the person with a disability.
The patient is responsible for the care and supervision of their Service animal including feeding, toileting, exercising and clean-up when needed. Staff are not expected to provide care or food for the animal.

Service animals and their roles:

DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH:

HDH Infection Control
HDH Safety Specialist
HDH Accessibility Working Group

REFERENCES:
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Training Resource: Customer Service Standard 429/07. February, 2009
http://mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Training Resource: Customer Service Standard 429/07. February, 2009
http://mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/
Blind Persons' Rights Act. R.S., c. 40, s. 1, s. 2, http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/blindper.htm

Personal Assistive Devices Policy

Hotel Dieu Hospital is committed to promoting, providing and maintaining an environment where respect, independence, and dignity are demonstrated at all times to all patients equally. Patients are encouraged and supported to use whatever assistive devices they require to ensure access to the goods and services offered by the hospital.

Definition:
Assistive Device: Assistive Devices are used by people with disabilities to help with daily living. They include a broad range of products such as but not limited to walkers, canes, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, portable chalk boards and electronic communication devices that people may bring with them to the hospital.

PROCEDURE:

Hotel Dieu Hospital will respect and accommodate the right of the individual to use a personal assistive device while accessing goods and services provided by the hospital.
A patient’s assistive device(s) will remain with the patient at ALL times except where there is a requirement for exclusion of said device:
due to infection control risk
due to risk of harm to the device and/or individuals
Manager and staff will work with the person with the assistive device to arrange for alternative support in the event the communication device is unable to stay with the patient.
HDH accessibility policies will be posted on the hospital’s Internet and Intranet.
All policies and procedure documents related to accessibility will be available to the public in a format agreed upon with the person with a disability.

GUIDELINES:

When communicating with a person with a disability, do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
Think about and/or learn how people with disabilities communicate. Be flexible in planning your approach use of written, spoken, or picture form or other assistive device may be useful.
Ask the patient directly about their preferred method of communication.
Plan ahead where possible to ensure the appropriate assistive device is available.
At Hotel Dieu, assistive measures available for patients include wheelchairs, lifts, Pocket Talkers and sign language interpreters.

DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH:

HDH Patient Relations
HDH Safety Specialist
HDH Human Resources
HDH Accessibility Working Group

Support Person Policy

PROCEDURE:

Support persons may accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the hospital except where excluded by law.
Where a support person is excluded by law, Hotel Dieu Hospital will accommodate alternative ways for the person with disabilities to access our goods and services.
Support persons may be permitted in areas where some sterile procedures occur in accordance with the Health Promotion and Protection Act including but not limited to:
Operating Rooms
minor procedure rooms (case specific)
any room where radiation exposure occurs (X-ray, CT)
Staff will inform the person with a disability of areas where the presence of a support person is not allowed prior to their arrival (where possible) and will develop an accessibility plan with the individual identifying alternate support arrangements.
Confidentiality and privacy of the person with a disability and other clients will be respected at all times by staff and may be requested of the support person where applicable (i.e. group counseling sessions).
The right to autonomous decision-making as protected by law is applicable to people with disability accompanied by a support person.
Staff may request a support person be provided by the patient in order to protect the health and welfare of a person with disability.
HDH accessibility policies will be posted on the hospital’s Internet and Intranet.
All policies and procedure documents related to accessibility will be available to the public in a format agreed upon with the person with a disability.

GUIDELINES:

Understanding the support person role: This individual is hired or chosen to accompany a person with a disability to provide services or assistance with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or access to goods or services. A support person can be a paid personal support worker, volunteer, friend or family member. He/she does not necessarily need to have special training or qualifications. He/she supports:
Personal care needs, including but not limited to assistance with eating or using the washroom
Medical needs, including but not limited to monitoring the person with a disability’s health conditions, providing injections and providing support when someone has moderate to severe seizures
Interacting with a patient who has a support person:
The person with a disability may not introduce their support person. If you are not sure which person is the patient, take your lead from the person using or requesting your service and/or simply ask.
Once you have determined who the patient is, speak directly to them, not to their support person.
Staff should be familiar with HDH policies, practices and procedures about providing accessible customer service.

DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH:

HDH Patient Relations
HDH Safety Specialist
HDH Human Resources
HDH Accessibility Working Group

REFERENCES:
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_05a11_e.htm
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 Customer Service Standard 429/07
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2007/elaws_src_regs_r07429_e.htm
Blind Persons' Rights Act. R.S., c. 40, s. 1
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/blindper.htm
Blind Persons' Rights Act. R.S., c. 40, s. 1
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/blindper.htm
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Training Resource: Customer Service
Standard 429/07. February, 2009
http://mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/

Printable Policies

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD
GUIDE DOGS AND OTHER SERVICE ANIMALS
PERSONAL ASSISTIVE DEVICES
SUPPORT PERSON