AMAZING HOME CARE AGENCY
Dover, Delaware 302-703-3900
COVID-19 POLICY
COVID-19 And Steps We’re Taking To Keep You Safe
07-01-2020 - Consumer Care
At Amazing Home Care Agency, your safety and well-being are of utmost importance to us. We continue to closely monitor the developments and information about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), and have taken extra precautions to ensure your safety. We are actively monitoring the progression of information as issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and our local and state governments. We take safety seriously and our direct care workers and staff will follow our strict protocols in addition to adhering with CDC, federal, state and local guidelines.
As a rule, we follow stringent cleaning, sanitizing, and protection procedures at each service location. We pride ourselves on a clean and safe home care environment. In addition to our standard cleaning procedures, below are some of the additional steps we’re taking to keep you safe:
Consumer screenings are done at the time of scheduling, at appointment reminders, and at the time of their appointment to ensure we keep everyone safe.
We are directing our consumers with risk factors for Covid-19 to reschedule at a later date, follow them up with teleconferencing and to be appropriately medically evaluated.
Pens are switched out, cleaned and sanitized between each use.
Our direct care workers and staff are refraining from hand-shaking with consumers and hugging.
Thoughtful, frequent handwashing is practiced by every team member from the direct care worker to the office staff, a habit which has been in place and will continue to be in place.
We have educated our team in depth about the virus, including how it’s transmitted, and the common symptoms. While we understand and share the community’s concern about this virus, please know that we are taking every precaution and you can have confidence in the safety of our visits to your home. Consumer care and safety are our priority above all during this current public health situation.
COVID-19- CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION
Health & Safety is our highest priority
Amazing Home Care Agency is treating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) very seriously, given the severe health consequences this virus would have on our consumers and staff. We evaluate and reassess our health and safety protocols daily based on updates from the Federal and Provincial Public Health Officers. We’re prepared at all times to implement outbreak-prevention measures to protect our consumers and staff in response to these updates.
Some of the steps we are taking to ensure the safety of our communities:
Risk Mitigation
Our Direct Care Workers and staff are instructed to adhere to the following guidelines:
Increasing sanitization
1. Direct Care Workers will use the provided personal protective equipment (PPE) while on duty.
2. As an extra precaution, Direct Care Workers will sanitize and clean high traffic areas of the consumer’s living area upon arriving and before living work, and high-touch areas such as kitchen doors, refrigerator doors and cabinets, reminding direct care workers to wash their hands often.
3. Our direct care workers have been asked to follow all standard precautions strictly and consistently including washing their hands for 20 seconds on a regular basis and/or use hand sanitizer. Specifically, on arrival, before and after touching a consumer, before preparing and serving food, and before contact with any medication containers. Sneezing into their sleeve or a tissue and not touching their face.
Requiring employees to wear masks
1. Amazing Home Care Agency has implemented the mandatory use of masks by our direct care workers and staff to further protect our consumers from potential asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals.
2. All direct care workers and staff are provided washable or disposable masks to help protect consumers and staff in certain positions. The Agency is mindful of not using N95 masks, which are needed by frontline health care workers. We however teach our direct care workers and staff as to the proper use of the masks for safety.
Mandating social distancing
1. Our Direct Care Workers will limit public appearances with consumers and adhere to the ‘social distancing’ recommendations set forth by the CDC. This will help stop the spread of the virus.
2. We have implemented physical distancing in our common amenity areas such as the reception area and conference room.
Reducing Direct Care Worker and staff points of contact
1. Amazing Home Care Agency is following all Provincial Order that direct care workers cannot work at more than one consumer’s home. As a result of this, we have asked our regular, part-time, and casual direct care workers if they would be willing to increase their hours at Amazing Home Care Agency to ensure all consumers who need care are provided for, so they don’t have to work elsewhere, until the Provincial Order is lifted.
2. To ensure the safety of all our consumers and staff, we’ve asked direct care workers and staff who have had any risk of exposure to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days.
Direct Care Workers and Staff feeling sick
1. If a direct care worker or staff feels sick or displays any signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 (shortness of breath, cough/sneezing, fever) they are asked to notify the office immediately and do not work until a 14-day quarantine period is over or until they have been cleared by a physician. Our scheduling department will work diligently to ensure our direct care workers and staff are able to work each day to meet the needs of our consumers.
2. We ask that our direct care workers and staff take their temperature before leaving for work and if they display a fever, notify the office immediately and promptly.
Travel Restrictions
1. All direct care workers and staff are strongly encouraged to cancel any upcoming travel plans. Any direct care worker or staff who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have travelled internationally or taken a cruise ship to any destination will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days before returning to work.
2. We encourage all direct care workers and staff to notify the office if there has been any travel outside of the United States within the last 30 days. A 14-day quarantine will be granted and required before return to work.
Consumer Guidelines
We also request that our consumers participate in keeping a safe environment for themselves and our direct care workers. The following protocols are in place and will remain in place until further notice:
1. Amazing Home Care Agency has encouraged all consumers to follow all standard precautions strictly and consistently including washing their hands for 20 seconds on a regular basis and/or use hand sanitizer, sneeze into their sleeve or a tissue and not touching their face.
2. Gloves must be provided by the consumer (as usual) and must remain in stock at all times.
3. Our consumers are encouraged to limit public appearances and adhere to the ‘social distancing’ recommendations set forth by the CDC. This will help stop the spread of the virus.
4. Consumers must notify the office if they have traveled out of the country in the last 30 days, or been exposed to someone who has had COVID-19.
5. All consumers are strongly encouraged to cancel any upcoming travel plans. Any consumer who have travelled internationally, travelled across borders, or taken a cruise ship to any destination will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days before we can assign a direct care worker to care for them.
6. Consumers must notify the office if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 (shortness of breath, cough/sneezing, fever).
7. If the consumer is displaying any symptoms (fever, coughing/sneezing, or difficulty breathing), we will notify the consumer representative if applicable, work with them closely and monitor the situation as they seek medical attention.
Shopping for groceries and essential items
1. We know it’s difficult right now to obtain essential items such as food items and toiletries, so we have taken extra measures to ensure our direct care workers can assist consumers obtain these items at designated times set forth by some shops and stores for seniors. Our direct care workers will also help consumers order such products online to avoid busy grocery stores as much as possible.
Self-declaration Forms
All direct care workers and staff are asked to sign a COVID-19 declaration form weekly that they did not travel to high risk areas, have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who has travelled. If they have, direct care workers and staff are asked to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work.
COVID-19 Response Content
In response to COVID-19, Amazing Home Care Agency have been actively creating content for COVID related issues to help consumers stay informed and connected including safety tips, uplifting stories, activities to improve their mental, physical and spiritual well-being while in quarantine or self-isolation.
