Covid-19 Update from Living with Care, inc.
LIVING WITH CARE IS EAGER TO HELP DURING THIS TRYING TIME. PLEASE REACH OUT TO US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
Your experience with Living with Care might be slightly different for a time. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this unprecedented crisis together as a community and a nation. Our commitment to helping you remains unchanged.
Please know that we are still here to serve you, and we are ready to be your guide in exploring senior care options. If you’d like to learn more about a Living with Care community or if you have any questions we can answer, please give us a call.
In addition to following our existing communicable disease outbreak protocols, we’ve implemented additional precautionary measures:
- Providing communities with the tools needed to monitor residents’ health to help detect possible health issues before symptoms manifest.
- Utilizing the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracking system to monitor COVID-19 outbreaks.
- Updated and enhanced the cleaning protocols at our communities to address COVID-19.
- Video calling tools like FaceTime and Skype for residents and families are encouraged to combat social isolation and loneliness.
How can I help my senior loved one stay healthy and avoid COVID-19?
Good question, as seniors are particularly impacted due to increased vulnerability. If your loved one has any symptoms, consult a physician immediately.
Avoiding exposure to the virus is the best way to prevent illness to yourself as well as not spreading the disease among your community. Follow the recommendations of your doctor(s), the CDC, and other government (local, state and federal) and healthcare authorities.
Current recommendations include the following:
Frequently wash your hands, use soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your face
Avoid physical contact with others in public places (such as when going to the pharmacy, grocery store or post office), keeping a distance of at least six feet between yourself and others
As much as possible, shelter-in-place (stay home) and limit/avoid visitors inside the home
If you are concerned about a loved one currently in a senior living community or you are actively considering moving a senior into one, take comfort that most communities are actively monitoring the situation and implementing appropriate safety procedures.
What are senior living communities doing to protect residents from COVID-19?
The industry response has been rapid and impressive. Senior living communities already had extensive measures to support the health and well-being of their senior residents, and have quickly adapted with additional protocols. The communities are actively monitoring the situation and new recommendations from the CDC and local/state authorities–and are implementing changes accordingly.
While the specific responses vary by community, examples include:
- Limiting or suspending non-essential visits, while screening those allowed in (screenings include temperature checks, surveying about recent travel or illness, and requiring masks and gloves)
- Getting creative with family visits, such as having family members interact with their senior loved ones through “window visits,” or hosting visits via FaceTime and other video-chat technology
- Delivering meals to residents’ rooms, and altering activities to ensure that residents are more than 6 feet apart from one another
- Quarantining any residents who become ill
- In some cases, quarantining new residents for up to 14 days
Should we be considering a move to senior living right now? How can I learn more about a community if I can’t visit in-person?
Senior living communities remain an excellent option for seniors nationwide, with most communities offering better safety and quality of life than if the senior were home alone–even during this crisis. With so many different communities and service options, finding the best match for your loved one (or yourself) is a project that requires research, with multiple considerations.
Living with Care Advisors ease the search and selection process for seniors and their family members. We can discuss and refer you to the communities that best fit your needs. During this crisis, many communities are doing virtual tours using technology like FaceTime and Zoom–our Family Advisors can schedule your tour (whether in-person or virtual) and walk you through the steps to get the most from each tour.
Living with Care works closely with senior living communities to know their latest policies and procedures. Our Family Advisors are available to answer any questions you may have and connect you to specific communities: (512) 298-1880. As always, our services are free to you.