While safety precautions have always been part of the way we deliver care, we want to make sure our clients know exactly how we’ve augmented our precautions during COVID-19. We’re taking extra steps to make sure we’re keeping our clients, their loved ones, and our vulnerable population safe. Here are some of the key steps we’ve implemented, plus the “Why” behind them. We’re also providing cautionary steps you can take and resources you can use for getting tested for COVID-19, symptomatic or not symptomatic!
| WHAT |
WHY |
| We are fully stocked on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks, gowns, gloves and goggles. We’re ensuring distribution is effective for all team members and clients. |
It matters to protect our clients and our staff. Without appropriate PPE, care cannot be provided and spread cannot be prevented. We’re very fortunate to have never run out of PPE. We continue to work closely with the Office of Health Care Quality to ensure adequate supply is maintained at all times. |
| Whenever we are providing care in a client’s home, we always wear a mask (in addition to standard precautions). |
This is whether someone is symptomatic or not; masks are always worn. That way there is no accidental exposure. |
| For COVID-19 presumptive or positive cases, we’re using full-droplet precautions–goggles, masks, gown and gloves. |
Full-droplet precautions prevent transmission to anyone else and ensure safe and great care at your home. |
| We have extensive protocols in place for testing, tracking and screening. All clients get a COVID-19 screener completed with every visit, and all team members complete a COVID-19 screener daily. |
We have a robust tracking system to ensure follow-up of all potential exposure cases that are reported to us. The most common situation we’re currently running into is when a family member of a client develops symptoms, not our staff or our client. In these situations, we treat it as a positive case and will do full PPE until COVID-19 is ruled out. This is to protect our client, staff and community against transmission. |
| We’ve developed a consistency score to minimize the number of staff coming into a client’s home. |
Our internal consistency score takes into account things like how many hours a client has in a week, the client to caregiver ratio, and level of need of the client. By having a baseline score, we can minimize the number of staff coming into a client’s home, protecting our clients and their families to an even higher degree |
| We have a Registered Nurse in-house to manage and monitor all clients. |
As a Home Health company in the state of Delaware, we are required to have a Registered Nurse on staff. Our RN/Clinical Director ensures we respond quickly and intelligently to any situations or exposures. Home Care companies do not have an RN overseeing care. |
| We have extensive COVID-19 protocols and testing requirements in place for all scenarios, including possible exposures and COVID-19 positive cases. No team member with COVID-19 symptoms can work until they are medically cleared (even if they do not have COVID-19). |
Why? Because there are no shortcuts to safe, reliable care. Our primary purpose is to deliver care to you with safety that’s consistent on every visit, with every interaction. You can be 100% confident that we know how to be prepared, what to look for, how to track, and how to follow-up. |
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
To protect your vulnerable loved ones:
- If you live with them, do the minimum CDC recommendations at ALL TIMES, no exceptions.
- If you’re sick, get tested immediately and maintain distancing when possible. It’s inconvenient but it could save a life.
- ALWAYS alert Silver Lining if you’re getting tested for COVID-19 or if you’ve developed symptoms. This will ensure we can protect our team members and prevent transmission to others. We’ll do full-droplet precautions (use of PPE with goggles, mask, gown, and gloves) until COVID-19 is ruled out.
If you’re visiting a vulnerable loved one:
- Never go if you’re sick.
- Always wear a mask the whole time (so as to not infect commonly touched spaces).
- Wash hands prior to entering, before and after eating, after toileting and after exiting
HOW TO GET TESTED:
Testing is FREE by federal mandate. You will not have a copay to use your insurance. For the mail-order option, you can choose to either go through your insurance or pay out of pocket. Different testing options have different results time. The primary reason to get tested if you’re not symptomatic is because you’ll be in an area where maintaining social distancing is not possible.
Know Your COVID-19 Status – Order a mail order kit – Want to go on vacation? See family? Get tested before and/or after!
Access COVID-19 Testing at Home – You can go through your insurance and the testing is free. Or you can pay out of pocket.
COVID-19 Screening Tool – Don’t know if you’re at risk or not? Use this symptom checker.
