Dear Professional Caregiver,
Thank you for your continued dedication to our clients! TLC HomeCare & TLC Nursing is proud of how our team brings quality care to the homes and healthcare facilities of our clients every day even with the concern our country faces with a growing number of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases. You are our TLC’s most important asset, so it’s important that we protect you and our clients! Along with regular safety and hygiene protocols, please follow these healthy practices:
- If you have a fever or exhibit other signs and symptoms of a virus, please call TLC so that our operations team can remove you from upcoming shifts!
- If you have recently traveled or spent time with other people who have flu-like symptoms, track your own health and take extra precautions.
- Wash your hands well! Wash all sides of your hands, between your fingers, and past your wrists. Hand sanitizer is okay when you’re in a rush, but soap and water work best. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry them all the way!
- Cover your mouth with a sleeve or tissue when you cough and sneeze. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Check the glove supply in all clients’ homes! Disinfect and clean their homes whenever possible. Please notify TLC if you need additional gloves.
- Talk to your clients and their families to see how they feel and how we can best help.
In order to better assist you, TLC has implemented a few precautionary measures. They are:
- Health screening questionnaires for both our caregivers and our clients have been implemented through our telephony system to monitor our staff and clients for any signs and symptoms of illness. You may need to plan ahead for spending a few additional minutes on the phone as you clock in and clock out of your shift.
- Our Nurse Case Managers are calling and speaking with and screening our caregivers at a minimum every other day. Most of our caregivers are being contacted via phone and or email on a daily basis. Please respond to their phone calls and emails. I know this may feel like a nuisance, however, we want to take every precautionary measure possible.
- We are requiring our caregivers not to return to work if they have family members who are sick or have any signs or symptoms of any illness including flu-like symptoms.
- Tell your Nurse Case Manager if a client is experiencing flu-like symptoms. If your client is diagnosed with the flu or COVID-19, we will promptly notify you and the Health Department so that you can get the proper medical care as soon as possible. If you contract the flu and are prescribed medications for it and your insurance does not cover it or you are unable to afford it, please contact the office and speak with Katelynn or Mohamed. We will help in any way possible so that you get your antiviral drugs.
- Our Nurse Case Managers are in contact with the Department of Health for updated guidelines and reporting any cases.
- Strict scheduling measure is in place for our 24/7 clients. They are to have only a 5-person caregiving team that will only work with the 24/7 client. This caregiver team will not be scheduled to see other clients during their off times. If a scheduler mistakenly asks you to cover a shift, please remind her that you are part of a 24/7 client and cannot see other clients at this time.
- Our office is currently closed to the public; however, our Operations team and Leadership team are in the office working and supporting our clients and the caregivers.
- All of TLC HomeCare’s community education and training have been canceled for the next four weeks.
- Our office staff and our field staff are to follow all the guidelines provided by the CDC. I am attaching the latest guidelines from the CDC for your review.
It is important that we remain dependable for our clients and their families, so if you are healthy or simply experiencing allergy symptoms, please continue to attend your shifts! However, if you have virus symptoms, we certainly do not want you to risk your health or the health of our more fragile, elderly clients. Just like in any flu season, we highly encourage you to drink plenty of fluids, get enough rest, eat a healthy diet rich in Vitamins C and E, exercise regularly, listen to your body, last but not least, wash your hands frequently.
Main point: please communicate with your Nurse Case Manager and the Operations team so we can best help you and your clients to remain happy and healthy!
We are here at your service.
Sincerely,
Mohamed Basha, RN CMC & The TLC HomeCare & TLC Nursing team.