The role of the Technical Aids Service is to assess, repair and maintain wheelchairs funded by the RAMQ. In Montreal, 2.8% of households experience a bedbug problem. When a client’s home is infested, these parasites can also take up residence in their wheelchair. Our problem was that we lacked procedures to inspect this equipment for bedbugs. Our facilities were not suitable for carrying out proper pest inspections. When a case of infestation occurred, we had no established response plan.

We therefore created a procedure to check for bedbugs on wheelchairs. We transformed an office into a clean room with the necessary equipment to carry out proper bedbug inspections. We chose equipment that was easy to use and decontaminate. We installed pest protection equipment in key locations to enable a rapid and effective response to infestation. We then disseminated our response protocol and trained our responders on how to use the clean room and equipment.

We can now limit the spread of bedbugs by isolating contaminated equipment. We have a coordinated intervention approach that is safe for both our clients and our employees and allows us to effectively intervene with the utmost respect for our clients.

Project submitted by Élise Jobin, occupational therapist and clinical coordinator at the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre and her colleagues