Q: My dad is in a local assisted-living community. What steps should they be taking to keep him safe from the coronavirus?
A: Assisted-living communities and nursing homes can be challenging environments in which to safeguard against the spread of contagious diseases like COVID-19. Under normal conditions, residents share common dining halls, activity rooms, hallways and transportation. Visitors come and go freely. The building itself was designed to promote social interaction. Residents and staff are in close proximity to each other throughout every single day.
However, we are currently experiencing a pandemic. Many of these normal activities have changed or been eliminated. You are probably not able to visit your dad, or at least only under very limited conditions. Being fearful of the potential consequences of such living arrangements during COVID-19 is understandable. The best way to find out how your father’s health is being protected is to simply call the executive director of the community and ask for an appointment to review their COVID-19 safety protocols together. More than likely, they will want to meet with you off campus for the protection of the resident population.
Crucial elements of the community’s COVID-19 plan should include comprehensive protocols for:
* Continuously educating and communicating with personnel, residents and family members about the community’s response to the pandemic.
* Preventing the virus from entering the building/campus through either personnel or visitors.
* On-site infection prevention and control measures, which should include all personnel wearing face masks and being screened daily for any evidence of illness.
* Response to both potential and confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the resident population.
The assisted-living community’s plan should be detailed and specific, so don’t be afraid to ask specific questions about their plan. You likely already know the executive director to be a health-care professional with a passion for caring for older adults. They are there to help you and want to be a part of the solution to a very complicated problem. They won’t always have immediate answers. Try to be patient and understanding of the enormity of their current responsibilities.
If you see anything out of the ordinary or any glaring omissions in their response plan, ask why. If the answer you receive gives you pause, ask to speak with the regional operations executive for further clarification. The Centers for Disease Control has published infection-control guidelines for assisted-living communities at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/assisted-living.html. If the community’s plan does not follow these basic considerations, there may be cause for concern.
For additional information or questions you may have about COVID-19, call the Hamilton County Health Department COVID-19 Hotline at 423-209-8383.
– Dr. Paul Hendricks is health officer for the Hamilton County Health Department and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Contributed Photo / Dr. Paul Hendricks