Our Covid-19 Steps

How Essential Home Care Plus is Protecting You and Our Caregivers

Essential Home Care Plus is regularly training and updating our caregivers on how to protect Clients and themselves from COVID-19. As an essential part of the healthcare system, our caregivers can help minimize the exposure seniors and those with medical conditions have to the virus.

As part of our safety protocols, new additions have been developed to help reduce the risk of exposure for Clients and caregivers alike. These steps happen before every shift a caregiver completes and upon leaving each client’s home.

Before each shift.

Every day before our exceptional Caregivers can start their day, they go through a safety screening to ensure they are safe to be in your home and that they have not been exposed to COVID-19.

Covid-19 Safety Measures

• Monitoring their temperature.
• Reporting on any symptoms associated with COVID-19.
• Reporting on their family and others they may have come into contact with.
• If positive, they go to isolation and follow CDC protocols.

Once cleared with proof of a negative COVID-19 test, Caregivers may proceed with work, the caregiver will come into the home, and immediately wash their hands. Throughout their time in the home, you will see the caregiver continue to wash their hands frequently, especially before and after preparing food or providing personal care. According to the CDC, proper and frequent hand washing is the number one thing anyone can do in the prevention of this virus.

At the end of each shift.

At the end of shift, Essential Home Care Plus caregivers disinfect all frequently touched surfaces (remotes, light switches, doorknobs, counters) and wash their hands thoroughly before leaving the home.

FAQs

On the Safety of Having Caregivers in Your Home during this Pandemic Please call and we will be happy to answer all questions you may have.

Is home-care safe at a time like this? I am not sure about having someone coming into my home.

• Home care is safe. Consider the exposure you or your loved one would encounter simply getting the provisions you would need between the pharmacy and grocery. Essential Home Care Plus caregivers are trained to identify the symptoms of COVID-19 before entering a home. Additionally, they check all clients for symptoms before beginning care.
• The CDC and state governments have considered Home Care personnel as essential – as we help seniors and those with medical conditions to remain safely at home by bringing services to their homes. Reducing exposure and helping prevent the spread of the virus are crucial.
• By bringing services in and helping populations shelter safely in place, Home Care is helping reduce the stress on our healthcare system as well.

What should my caregiver be doing to help prevent and protect me once in my home?

• The HCAOA (Home Care Association of America) has set the following guidelines, for which all Essential Home Care Plus workers have been trained.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect surfaces routinely.
• Check clients and yourself for fever/symptoms daily.
• Maintain a safe distance, always.
• Check-in regularly with our agency.