Congregate Living Settings in Niagara

Congregate living settings are places where people live or stay overnight and use shared spaces, like sleeping areas, sitting rooms and dining rooms.

Some examples of these settings include long-term care and retirement homes, assisted living facilities, group homes and emergency shelters.

Infection prevention and control

The IPAC Hub Niagara works to provide congregate living settings in Niagara with the highest quality support in infection prevention and control.

Our services are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health, so services are available to you at no cost.

To learn about support services, visit the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand-Norfolk Brant Infection Prevention and Control Hub.

If you would like to discuss opportunities for support, email infection prevention and control specialists.

Outbreak management

Outbreak management involves coordinated efforts to find, understand and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

The goal is to quickly identify and contain the spread of a disease to protect the health and well-being of residents, staff and visitors.

To report a suspected or confirmed outbreak, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7590.

• Definitions
  • Respiratory infection outbreaks in institutions and public hospitals
  • Case definitions and disease-specific information COVID-19
  • Gastroenteritis outbreaks in institutions and public hospitals
• Outbreak management guides and checklists
  • Recommendations for outbreak prevention and control in institutions and congregate living settings
  • Summary of the recommendations for outbreak prevention and control in institutions and congregate living settings

  Long-term care and retirement homes

  • Infection prevention and control checklists for long-term care homes and retirement homes
  • Infection prevention and control self-assessment audit for long-term care homes and retirement homes
  • COVID-19 guidance for retirement homes in Ontario

  Other congregate living settings

  • Infection prevention and control self assessment checklist for congregate living settings
• Supplementary material
  • Posters and resources
  • COVID-19 long-term care resources
  • Point of care risk assessment workbook
  • Point of care risk assessment decision chart

  Lab requisitions

  • General test requisition form
  • COVID-19 and respiratory virus test requisition form

Inspection results

See health inspection reports for facilities in Niagara, including food, hair salons and pools.

For questions about our inspection process, call our environmental health duty officer at 905-688-8248 ext. 7590 or email inspections.

More information

Vaccination

For questions about vaccination, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7425 or email the vaccine team.

Shelter staff

For shelter staff in need of help related to infection prevention and control, call 905-980-6000 ext. 3808 or email Homelessness Services and Community Engagement.

Property standards

For property standards or building concerns, contact your city / town's by-law office.

Provincial supply portal

If you're an operator of a congregate living setting and need to access the provincial supply portal, visit the Government of Ontario's PPE supply portal to log in.