Health & Safety
COVID-19 Information, Clinic Procedures & FAQ
The Latest:
March 1, 2022 Restriction Update
With the provincial and local mask restrictions being lifted, we understand that this may leave some (practitioners & clients) uneasy due to the close nature of treatment.
We are leaving the choice to mask or not mask up to the individual. A discussion will be had with your practitioner at time of treatment to discuss both preferences. We ask for understanding should the practitioner request that a mask be worn at certain times during a treatment. (Side-lying or face up) If you would like to discuss prior to coming in for your appointment, please call or email the clinic.
*Urban Massage & Wellness will continue to provide disposable masks should they be requested.
We would also like to share that we have adopted the pre-appointment Wellness Check as an added confirmation of appointment attendance as well as to ensure that everyone coming into the clinic is free of any cold or flu symptoms. This will be sent out 24hrs prior to your appointment start time.
We continue to be vigilant in providing a clean and disinfected treatment space for everyone coming into the clinic.
*Please call or email the clinic if your appointment needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. We understand that symptoms can show up unexpectedly, but ask for as much notice as possible so our practitioners can accommodate other clients. (See online for our full 24hr Cancellation Policy)
Thank you for your support and understanding as we make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone.
November 9, 2021
-All staff & clients are required to wear a mask upon entry
-Please Complete your Wellness Check prior to coming in for your appointment
-Please call or email to reschedule if you are not feeling well
-Wellness Services are considered out-of-scope for the Alberta Government REP Program.
Please see full details of the Program HERE
January 15, 2021
We are pleased to announce that effective Monday January 18, 2021, that both Massage Therapy and Manual Osteopathy will be fully open by appointment only. Please note that prescriptions & written referrals are still required for the next few days, but are no longer necessary effective January 18, 2021.
Please be aware that the current order does mean that no walk-in appointments are allowed. The client must have a pre-booked appointment prior to attending the clinic and all intake forms and COVID questionnaire must be completed beforehand.
We look forward to getting everyone back into their regular self care routines!
December 23, 2020
It’s official! We can re-open!
As per the update provided by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Massage Therapists are able to resume immediately providing services under the following guidelines:
All clients must have either a written prescription from a Medical Doctor, or a written referral from a regulated health professional
*An existing written prescription is only valid if issued within the last 12 months
*An existing written referral is only valid if issued within the last 12 months
*A copy of the original written prescription or written referral is acceptable
*The written prescription or written referral must be provided prior to receiving the treatment
*A copy of the written prescription or written referral must be kept in the client’s file
At this time we are not able to offer Manual Osteopathy Services. Thank you for supporting us and for your endless cooperation and understanding as we continue to move through the ever changing restrictions and regulations. We ask for your patience as we work on bringing our therapists back to the clinic.
***Getting a referral for Massage is simple with babylon by Telus Health! babylon lets you see a Doctor from your phone, where and when it’s convenient for you. Even evenings and weekends. Download the App and create a FREE account.
https://www.telus.com/en/ab/health/personal/babylon
December 8, 2020
Surprise measures announced by the Alberta Government include the closure of all in person treatments of Massage Therapy & Manual Osteopathy effective December 13, 2020. The measures will be in effect for 4 weeks and may extend beyond that.
These restrictions can be found at https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx and all current public health orders can be found at https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-orders-and-legislation.aspx
*Our Acupuncturist is still able to see clients. Please check his online schedule for availability.
Thank you all so much for your kindness and support over the past months, we look forward to seeing you soon!
What to Expect
Life has changed for many people and businesses in the past few months, and our clinic is no exception. You can expect things to be a little different but in the best way possible.
We’ve made numerous enhancements to in-clinic procedures and sanitation so you can enjoy your treatment without any stress or worries. All of our changes meet or exceed government-issued COVID-19 guidelines. This ensures that each and every client is treated in a safe and clean environment.
Here are a few of the changes we’ve made for your safety and protection:
- Installation of a custom sneeze guard shield at the front desk
- Brand-new HEPA filters in each room, which filters and circulates the air in a room more than four times per hour
- Enhanced room cleaning and sanitizing before and after every client
- Enhanced physical distancing measures to direct and indirect contact as much as possible
- Complimentary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for each client
- Staff equipped with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Safety glasses/Masks/Aprons
- No cash is currently being accepted. We do offer the option to pay with debit, Visa, Mastercard, gift certificates and e-transfers
- Pre-screening for all staff and clients for symptoms prior to appointments
- Hand sanitizer available throughout the clinic
- Enhanced cleaning products and procedures
Your Health is Our Priority
We know this has been a challenging time for everyone. We hope that one day these measures won’t be necessary, but for the time being, we need to protect the health and safety of everyone who walks through our doors. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback relating to our new procedures, please get in touch and let us know.
We thank you for your patience during our closure and look forward to seeing you in-person again!
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do I need to know for my next appointment?
Distancing, Seating & Arrival
In an effort to maximize physical distancing, we ask that you wait in your vehicle until 5 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. Please leave all personal items in your vehicle or home. We have limited seating with physical distancing measures in place.
Clients will be asked to sanitize their hands upon arrival and when leaving. While our bathroom will be available to clients as needed, we would appreciate it if those who reside close to our clinic could use their own washrooms at home before attending. This will help reduce the amount of time spent sanitizing our washroom.
Paperwork and Pre-Screening
All forms and our pre-screening questionnaire must be completed online before entering the clinic each visit.
PPE
If you prefer to wear a mask during your visit, you are welcome to wear your own (we also provide masks upon request).
Payments and Receipts
We’re temporarily going cashless, but we do accept debit, Visa, Mastercard, gift certificates and e-transfers. We also direct bill most major insurance companies for your convenience. All receipts will be emailed. Printed copies will not be offered at this time in an effort to minimize contact.
Q: What enhancements have been made to cleaning and sanitation at Urban Massage & Wellness?
The health and safety of our clients and staff are our top priority and always have been. Our new cleaning procedures meet or exceed all Alberta Health regulations, just as our previous cleaning standards exceeded the expectations set for massage therapy clinics.
You can expect complete sanitization of treatment rooms between each client, which is a process we’ve always taken the time to complete. However, we’ve increased the number of times we sanitize certain surfaces throughout the day with Government of Canada approved disinfectants (for example, counters and chairs may have been cleaned a few times throughout the day previously but are now cleaned far more regularly).
This list is by no means exhaustive, but you can expect all of the following items to be fully sanitized at each visit:
- Treatment tables and headrests
- Pillows, towels, sheets and blankets
- Doorknobs
- Light switches
- Chairs
- Counters
- Floors
- Toilets and faucets
- Handrails
- Laptops, printers, and other office supplies
- The debit machine
- All commonly touched surfaces
We’ve also installed a custom sneeze shield at our front desk, and 60-80% alcohol-based sanitizers approved by Health Canada are readily available throughout the clinic.
Q: What happens if I exhibit COVID-19 symptoms before my next visit?
We ask all clients who have COVID-19 symptoms to stay home, self-isolate, and re-schedule their appointment once it is safe (as per Alberta Health guidelines).
Q: What methods of payment are currently available?
We accept debit, Mastercard, Visa, gift certificates and e-transfers. Our debit machine is also touchless tap enabled.
Q: How is Urban Massage & Wellness helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to therapists?
The health of our staff is just as important to us as the health of our clients. Just like you, our therapists will complete a self-assessment before each shift. Our therapists will also wear required PPE equipment (masks, safety glasses, and aprons) that are changed/sanitized between each client.
We’re also keeping communication with and between our therapists open so we can be vigilant and aware of changing circumstances or additional safety needs. Please join this conversation if you have anything to add.
Q: Will Urban Massage & Wellness provide adequate time between treatments to guarantee the sanitization of rooms?
We are currently scheduling a minimum of 30 minutes between clients to ensure physical distancing is maintained and to allow adequate time to fully sanitize our clinic and rooms. We have always scheduled extra time to allow for these cleaning procedures, but we’ve extended the time to suit the extra caution needed at this time.
Q: What is the cancellation policy in regard to COVID-19?
We still have our 24-hour cancellation policy, but with leniency toward illness-related circumstances. We will not charge anyone for missed appointments due to illness. We ask that you please wait until you are fully recovered before scheduling a new appointment.
