Institutions Regulation engagement

Overview

We gathered feedback on proposed updates that would modernize the Institutions Regulation under the Public Health Act to support safer spaces in care settings by providing operators with more clarity.

The regulation sets operational and maintenance requirements to prevent injury and illness in care facilities such as childcare programs, residential programs, residential addiction treatment services and supportive housing such as group homes.

Current requirements outlined in the regulation, which have not been significantly updated since 1981, are not applicable to all care settings or are not flexible enough to effectively apply to all care programs.

Proposed updates would:

• address topics not previously covered, such as health risks from extreme heat events and preventing the spread of infection among care providers and those receiving care
• provide more detailed direction in areas such as bathing, cleaning and sanitation
• revise specific requirements that are inflexible or not applicable to every setting, such as bedding and incontinence care
• eliminate overlap for programs covered by other similar health and safety standards

Operators will continue to be accountable for the health and safety outcomes required under the regulations. All programs can be inspected following a complaint or referral from another authority, and some are subject to routine inspection by public health inspectors.