All posts by : Bentley

Procedure for all employees and contractors

Support, Inc. will monitor developments of COVID -19 and follow recommendations and orders of the CDC, CDPHE, HCPF, CMS, state and county governments. This protocol will be updated as needed with any changes. Support, Inc. will provide on-going updates and communication through email, website and social media. Posters will be put up in common areas of the office to encourage employees to stay home when sick and provide infection control steps and cough and sneeze etiquette.

The following rules apply for anyone who is sick, showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19, has been exposed to someone presumed to have COVID-19 for having or known to have COVID-19:

· Employees should not visit the office or have contact with individuals in services and will follow the COVID-19 exposure procedure. Employees will immediately report their symptoms or exposure details to their supervisor.

· Contractors should not visit the office. The provider will immediately inform their Residential Program Coordinator and begin to self-isolate in a designated room of the home. When possible, a certified co-provider without symptoms or exposure should provide all direct care. If a certified co-provider is not available, the provider should follow universal precautions when interacting and providing care to individuals in the home. This includes wearing a mask and gloves and following infection control steps.

All employees and contractors will follow infection control practices to protect against the spread of illness.

Employees and contractors will stay informed of developments of COVID-19, recommendations from state and federal authorities, and local ordinances and restrictions. Employees will stay in close communication with individuals in service, providers and their supervisor to help navigate potential high-risk activities. Examples of situations that should be discuss include;

· Air travel

· Travel to high-risk areas or areas designated as ‘hot-spots’

· Attending gathering of 10 or more people

· Participating in activities where people will not be social distancing

· Participating in activities that will put you in close contact with other people or activities in which you have to share tools or equipment with others

Employees and contractors will also consider their own personal risk factors and those of the individual when discussing the above situations. The following groups of people are considered to be high risk of experiencing complications due to COVID- 19:

· People 65 years of age or older

· People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma

· People who have a serious heart condition

· Those who are immunocompromised

· Pregnant women

· Those determined to be high risk by a licensed healthcare provider

· Anyone living in a home with an individual considered vulnerable

Prior to an individual in services returning to work or day program services, an IDT meeting will be held and documented. The IDT will discuss the following to determine the appropriateness of the individual returning;

· Individual risk factors noted above

· The individual’s ability and willingness to wear a mask or face covering

· The individual’s ability and willingness to maintain social distancing

· How the individual will be transported to and from day program/work

· How the day program/work site will ensure the individual’s health and safety such as social distancing, mask wearing, and how outbreaks will be communicated

The Associate Director of Quality Assurance will respond to COVID-19 concerns and questions by email laura.viers@supportinc.com or phone 970-667-7424 ext.200.

Operating protocol for Aurora office use:

Employees who can should work from home as much as possible. When using the office:

· Employees will utilize the calendar to schedule times they will be in the office.

· In-person meeting and trainings at the office will have no more than 6 people.

· The conference rooms will be marked indicating 6 feet between chairs. Chairs will not be moved from these markings.

· The office will be cleaned on a regular basis, and disinfectant wipes/spray will be available for employees to use as needed.

· All employees will wear a face covering or mask in the office when social distancing (6 feet between people) is not able to be maintained or the environment may be unpredictable.

o Example of unpredictable environments are walking around office areas such as bathrooms, kitchen, printer area, etc.

Visitors will not be permitted into the office without appointment.

· All visitors are required to wear face masks or face coverings when entering the office.

· Prior to entry, all visitors will be screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 using Support, Inc.’s screening questions.

· Contractors are asked to scan, fax or take pictures of any paperwork or receipts to send into the office instead of dropping off hard copies.

Operating protocol for site-based services

Prior to any individual receiving group day habilitation services, Support, Inc. will review the person’s vulnerability/risk level, ability and willingness to follow social distancing orders and wearing a mask or face covering. The following groups of people are considered to be high risk for experiencing complications due to COVID-19:

§ People 65 years of age or older

§ People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma

§ People who have a serious heart condition§ Those who are immunocompromised

§ Pregnant women

§ Those determined to be high risk by a licensed healthcare provider

§ Anyone living in a home with an individual considered vulnerable

1. The setting will not exceed capacity to the point of reducing safe and appropriate social distancing (at least 6 feet between people).

a. Staff will encourage and maintain social distancing between people during dining, when in motion around the site, and during other activities.

b. There will be a minimum of 50 square feet per person in the space.

2. Face masks or face coverings will be worn

a. All staff will wear a face mask or face covering while rendering services.

b. Participants are encouraged to wear a mask or face covering.

i. Support, Inc. has provided re-usable face coverings for all participants.

ii. Staff will educate, encourage and monitor participant use of masks.

3. Participants must safely travel to/from the setting. Social distancing must be maintained during transportation. If non-medical transportation is utilized, rides will be limited to:

a. One person per 5-passenger vehicle

b. Two people per 7-passenger vehicle

c. Five people per 15-passsenger vehicles.

d. If individuals reside in the same home, they may travel together without restrictions.

4. Appropriate facility cleaning methods will be followed:

a. The location will be professionally cleaned Monday-Friday

b. The location will be professionally disinfected meeting EPA requirements every other week

c. On-going cleaning and disinfecting will occur daily on frequently touched/ used surfaces including but not limited to door handles, tables, activity supplies, etc.

5. Prior to any staff or members entering the settings, limited health screening will be completed by the floor supervisor. Limited health screenings of employees will be recorded and filed in SharePoint. The screening will include;

i. Symptom screening

ii. Temperature taken

iii. Travel screening

6. In the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 or potential exposure, Support, Inc. will communicate on an individual, case by case basis.

7. If further restrictions or program closures must occur, changes will be communicated to participants and providers through email, website, in-person and/or automated phone message.

Operating protocol for ‘other’ client contact

1. Before visiting an individual, employees will complete COVID-19 screening questions prior to arriving to the home. Providers will communicate to staff should the individual develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 to determine appropriateness of the staff visiting.

2. Social distancing (at least 6 feet between people) will be maintained when possible.

3. Staff will wear a face covering or mask at all times.Support, Inc. screening questions:

1. Do you or anyone in your home have the presence of any of these flu-like symptoms?
   1. Fever or chills
   2. Cough
   3. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   4. Muscle or body aches
   5. New loss of taste or smell
   6. Sore throat
2. In the past 14 days, have you or anyone in the home had contact with someone who has been exposed to or has been diagnosed with COVID-19?
3. In the past 14 days, have you or anyone in the home traveled via airplane internationally or domestically?

What to know before going out

• The more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher risk of COVID-19 spread.
• Keep these items with you when venturing out;
  • Cloth face covering
  • Tissues
  • Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Some people have the virus and don’t have any symptoms

Things to think about before going out

• How many people will you interact with?
  • Interacting with more people raises your risk
  • Being in a group with people who aren’t social distancing or wearing cloth face coverings increase your risk.
• Can you keep 6 feet of space between you and others?
  • The closer you are to other people who may be infected, the greater our risk of getting sick.
• Will you be indoors or outdoors?
  • Indoor spaces have less ventilation and might be harder to keep people apart.
• What’s the length of time that you will be interacting with people?
  • Spending more time with people who may be infected increases your risk of becoming infected.
  • Spending more time with people increases their risk of becoming infected if there is any chance that you may already be infect.

Consider before you go

• Is COVID-19 spreading in my community?
• What are the local orders in my community?
• Will my activity put me in close contact with others?
• Am I at risk for severe illness?
• Do I live with someone who is at risk for severe illness?
• Do I practice every day preventative actions?
• Will I share any items, equipment or tools with other people?
• Will I need to take public transportation to get to the activity?
• Does my activity require travel to another community?
• If I get sick with COVID-19, will I have to miss work?
• Do I know what to do if I get sick?