Update: August 14, 2020
As Portland’s go-to referral resource for independent caregivers, the health and safety of all concerned is our top priority. The COVID-19 virus does not discriminate—it is a danger to seniors and young folk alike, and we are grateful to our team of caregivers that they are taking every necessary precaution to prevent the further spread of this virus. Since the caregivers we refer are not our employees, we don’t set rules requiring that they wear face masks or avoid large gatherings, yet they usually do these things voluntarily.
It is our caregivers’ utmost priority to protect their clients, and precautions such as frequent handwashing, and not working while sick, are already part of their usual caregiving routine. Our caregiver registry has had no known positive cases within our client base or our pool of active caregivers.
We recognize that the COVID-19 virus is likely to be present around the country for a very long time, and we encourage both our clients and our caregivers to talk about it! We are all in this together, and hope to overcome this pandemic through good communication, mindfulness (did I remember to bring my mask today?), responsibility and general compassion for others.
Our office is no longer sending regular COVID-19 updates to our team, but you may read correspondence from early 2020 below, and you may wish to subscribe to the Oregon Health Authority for their regular updates.
Thank you,
Caregiver Connection
Revised April 2, 2020
Here are the steps that Caregiver Connection is taking to ensure your loved ones are getting the best care in these trying times:
We have e-mailed our caregivers information provided by the CDC, as well as from the Oregon Health Authority, and encouraged them to sign up for bulletins to stay current. You may track the updates we have sent to out caregivers here.
We set up clients in our system by phone and email. You are welcome to meet with your caregiver in person before hiring them, but you also have the option of conducting interviews over the phone or through a video chat service such as Skype or Facetime.
While it is often not possible for caregivers to practice social distancing in the context of caring for their patients, we make every effort to refer as few caregivers as possible to any one client.
With the Shelter-in-Place order by Oregon's governor, which also recommends social distancing and handwashing, it is our hope that these practices will lessen the exposure for all to COVID-19.
Many long-term care facilities have chosen to strictly limit visitors, sometimes referred to as "lock-down," even if no one in their community exhibits COVID-19 symptoms. We are currently discouraging our caregivers from accepting light-duty clients who live in long-term care communities, UNLESS that care is deemed essential. One example of this would be if a resident is on hospice and needs 24-hour care giving, which the CDC regards as "essential."
We are a referral service and do not control terms between caregivers and clients. Therefore, it is up to each caregiver and client to decide on whether they wish to work together.
For the safety of our caregivers and all our clients, we ask that any new or current clients please disclose any known or suspected cases/exposure to COVID-19, so that we can take necessary precautions. Caregiver Connection does not currently have any clients or caregivers who are known to have the COVID-19 virus.
General protocol for all, per CDC guidelines:
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an antiseptic hand gel.
Cough or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow rather than your hand. Throw the tissue away.
Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces with household cleaning sprays and wipes.
Avoid crowded areas and sick people.
Practice social distancing when you can. Keep at least 6 feet of space between yourself and other people.
Stay home if you are sick.
Avoid cruises and non-essential air travel when possible.
Regarding face masks: This information has recently changed. The general consensus is now that wearing masks does help to protect against both transmission and contraction. We are all aware of the worldwide shortage in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). There is building evidence to show that even fabric, homemade masks provide more protection than nothing at all (by about 60%). We have made recommendations to our caregivers about types of masks and resources for where to find them here. In a normal circumstance, caregiving supplies would be provided by the client (the employer) and not the caregiver. However, during this crisis, Caregiver Connection suggests that we may all benefit if both the client and the caregiver work together to acquire supplies.
We are following COVID-19 updates closely and passing along this information to our caregivers as information and protocol changes, per CDC and Oregon Health Authority guidelines. This includes extensive information on safety precautions unique to in-home care, which can be viewed here:
We want to thank both our clients and our caregivers for the extra efforts that they are exercising during this time. Please continue to work together to make any necessary adjustments to your individual care plans. Contact our office if you have any specific questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Micki, Jennifer, and April
info@caregiverpdx.com
