Important Updates 4/3
Update: Hi all We wanted to reach out with additional updates regarding the coronavirus outbreak. Since our communication on March 23, 2020, the Governor has instituted additional measures: parks and beaches are now closed and anyone coming to stay in Rhode Island from another state or country must self isolate and a stay at home order is now in place until April 13. This stay at home order mandates the closure of some RETAIL businesses and does not impact your ability to go to work and serve your clients. The letter we mentioned in our previous communication is not necessary. However, please wear your Home Instead uniform (shirt or scrub top), if possible, and name tag. In addition, there are now over 650 confirmed cases of patients with COVID-19 which is significantly better than other states. The state has opened additional testing sites and there is a higher availability of tests which is very important. Also, the Department of Health is recommending that anyone working in a facility wear a mask. We are delivering a supply of masks to those of you who work with clients in facilities.
As you know, these are challenging times and our priority at Home Instead is to keep everyone safe. ClearCare has added a new feature in their ClearCare GO app and in the telephony system. In the coming days, there will be a series of 4 Yes/No questions during the clock in process once a day asking you if you have any symptoms. If you answer Yes to any of those questions, you will not be able to clock in and be asked to call the office to discuss next steps. Our expectation is for you to call us as soon as possible if you think you may have to say Yes to any of those questions, preferably the day before your shift. What we want to avoid is a situation where you have to answer Yes as you are about to enter the client’s home and we have to pull you from the shift which would be very disruptive for the client and everyone involved. Please update your ClearCare Go app to version 2.3.6.
If you are sick, we ask, as always, that you contact your doctor or our FREE HealthiestYou service to speak to a doctor and determine in conjunction with your doctor if you are able to go to work. Please note that it is possible that your client may be asked by the Department of Health to self isolate at home. This could be because of recent travel by the client or someone in their immediate family who they are in close contact with or for some other reason. Please note that our services are considered essential services and you are able to continue to serve your client. In this situation, we ask that you wear a mask and gloves during your shift. As discussed before, please continue to be diligent about washing your hands frequently for over 20 seconds and disinfecting surfaces often. If you have been instructed to wear a mask or gloves in the home, please ensure that you put them on right away upon entry into the home and that you discard them in the trash outside, if possible. Regarding going out with your client in the car for a ride or to go get groceries. We really discourage that because if it is a small space which does not allow for adequate social distancing. We are reaching out to clients about this as well. If a car ride with the client is necessary, you and the client should each have a mask and all surfaces that have been touched should be disinfected prior to and after the ride. If you have any questions, if we can support you in any way, please call us at the office. And thank you so much for your dedication and continued support of our clients. Take care and stay safe.
Regards,
Cris
