Please join us in congratulating our final Host Home Provider of the Month for 2020, Alice Bomboma!The following write-up was produced by RPC Shanita Lloyd:
I am nominating Alice B for HHP of the month. Alice has my PRS in her home and we know she can have high expectations at times. Alice welcomed this person in her home with open arms and a big heart. Alice has not once complained about the individual’s long list of expectations of her perfect host home, she does everything with a warm smile on her face. The PRS has had issues with dogs in the past but Alice has allowed her to have her service dog in the home and from this, I have seen great improvement in symptoms. Alice is a great asset to the team and we are happy to have her.
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your community! In this
new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and engaging discussion to talk
about safe relationships, combatting bullying, setting boundaries, and being
the best, most valuable person we can be! This group is by
reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to participate!
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a
scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are
common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories
to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items.
To All Support, Inc. staff, providers and families,
As we come to the end of 2020, we continue to see progress on the COVID-19 vaccine. The Moderna vaccine received FDA approval for emergency use at the end of last week. The first Moderna vaccines arrived in Colorado on Monday and was distributed to 35 facilities. Colorado is working through Phase 1 of vaccine distribution plan. Phase 1 includes vaccinations for health-care workers and staff at long-term care facilities who have regular exposure to COVID-19. At this time, we have not received any additional guidance regarding when constituents of Support, Inc. may receive the vaccine however, we believe we may be eligible in Phase 2 of Colorado’s distribution plan below. As we receive additional guidance, we will pass this along through email, Facebook and will post the information on our website.
Vaccine FAQ’s:
Q: How does the COVID-19 mRNA
vaccine work?
A: The COVID-19
mRNA vaccine gives instructions to cells to make what is called “spike
protein”. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes
COVID-19. The vaccine is given in the muscle of the upper arm. Once the
instructions (mRNA) are inside the immune cells, the cells use them to make the
protein piece.
After the
protein piece is made, the cells break down the instructions and get rid of
them. Next, the cell displays the protein on its surface. Our bodies recognize
that the protein does not belong there and builds an immune response and makes
antibodies. At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to protect
against future infection. The benefit of mRNA vaccines, like all vaccines, is
that those who get the vaccine are protected without having to risk serious
consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.
Q: How long will the vaccine
protect me?
A: The duration
of protection is currently unknown. Continued research will be done to
determine the frequency the vaccine may need to be readministered.
Q: Will either vaccine give me
COVID-19?
A: No. Neither vaccine contain SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the vaccine cannot give you COVID-19.
Q: What are the differences and similarities between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?
As we are coming to the end of 2020, we have hope for 2021 as Colorado begins the implementation of the long awaited COVID-19 vaccine plan. During this holiday season, it is important we all continue to follow infection control practices and limit our contact with people who do not live with us. Limiting our contact does not mean we have to forego seeing friends and family. Zoom is offering free video calls with no time limits. This is a great opportunity to connect with friends and family outside your home. Zoom has removed the 40-minute time limit from 8:00 AM MT on Wednesday December 30th through 4:00 AM MT on Saturday January 2nd.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Laura at Laura.Viers@supportinc.com. Be sure to never miss our correspondences, follow us on Facebook, be sure you are on email and newsletter distribution list and check out website for on-going updated about COVID-19 and other happenings around the organization. Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season.-Laura
When: Wednesday, December 30 from 10:00
am-11:00 am
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your
community! In this new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and
engaging discussion to talk about safe relationships, combatting bullying, setting
boundaries, and being the best, most valuable person we can be! This group is
by reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to participate!
When: Thursday, December 31 from 11:30 am-
12:15 pm
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants
in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are
common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories
to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items.
What: Come celebrate Christmas with Support! Join us
at any time during the event by clicking on the link below. Please see the
attached flyer for the schedule and supplies list.
When: Wednesday, December 23 from 10:00
am-11:00 am
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your
community! In this new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and
engaging discussion to talk about safe relationships, combatting bullying,
setting boundaries, and being the best, most valuable person we can be! This
group is by reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to
participate!
To all Support, Inc. staff, providers, and families;
As the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives
over the last 9 months, there has been a lot of talk, questions and hopes for a
COVID-19 vaccination. An FDA (Food and Drug Administration) advisory committee
met on Thursday December 10th to review the Pfizer vaccine. The
committee resulted in a 77% “yes” vote that based on the totality of evidence,
the benefit of the Pfizer vaccine outweighs the risk for use in individuals age
16 and older. This was the last step in the process for Pfizer before the FDA
approves emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine. Over the weekend, the FDA
accepted the committee’s recommendation and approved the vaccine under the
Emergency Use Authorization. His is a pivotal moment in the pandemic as the
first vaccine being approved for use in the United States. While we do not have
all the answers, we wanted to provide some information on what we do know at
this point.
Q: What is an Emergency Use Authorization?
A: An EUA (Emergency Use
Authorization) is a way to facilitate the availability and use of things like
vaccines during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Under
EUA the FDA may allow an unapproved medical product to prevent serious
life-threatening diseases or conditions. Manufacturers submit an EUA request to
the FDA to be evaluated and to determine if statutory criteria are met. You can
read more about Emergency use Authorizations here.
Q: When can I get the vaccine?
A: This week, Colorado released a 3 phased roll out plan for the vaccine. Below is a description and timeline for each phase.
Q: Where can I get the vaccine?
A: Once a vaccine has been approved
for use by the FDA, Phase 1 recipients will receive the vaccine through their
employer (such as hospitals), local health agencies or through the Federal
Government’s pharmacy partnership for long term care programs. The Pfizer
vaccine requires ulta low temperature storage (-60 to -80 Celsius). Colorado
has identified 24 locations with the ability to store the vaccine at this
temperature and has purchased an additional 10 ulta low temperature freezers.
The state will release information for phase 2 and phase 3 vaccination
locations in the future.
Q: Will there only be one vaccine option?
A: At this time, the Pfizer vaccine
has been approved. Moderna has also applied to the FDA for authorization
through the Emergency use Authorization. There are 3 additional companies
working on clinical trials for a vaccination. It is likely individual states
and counties will get different vaccines based on manufacturing and
distribution from each company.
News of a vaccine is encouraging. At the moment constituents
of Support, Inc. may be eligible to receive the vaccine during Phase 2.
This may change and as we learn more information, we will send additional
updates. While we all anticipate the vaccine, it continues to be important we
all take steps to keep ourselves, our families and individual we support safe.
This includes, wearing a face covering/ mask when we are in public, washing
hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer frequently, minimizing
contact with people we don’t live with and when we do have to have contact with
people who don’t live in our home, staying 6 feet apart.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Laura at Laura.Viers@supportinc.com
What: Tis the season to be jolly! Join us as we
celebrate different activities of this season. This week we’re going to do
faux- ho, ho, gingerbread houses! Cut out your pieces for the gingerbread house
before group, don’t be afraid to ask for help with cutting them out!
Materials: Cardboard for house pieces, glue or tape,
anything you can find to decorate it!
When: Wednesday, December 16 from 10:00
am-11:00 am
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your
community! In this new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and
engaging discussion to talk about safe relationships, combatting bullying,
setting boundaries, and being the best, most valuable person we can be! This
group is by reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to
participate!
When: Wednesday, December 16 from 12:15
pm-1:00 pm
What: Get dressed up in your favorite holiday attire
and join us for a holiday dance party! Dancing is a great way to experience
different muscle movement.
When: Thursday, December 17 from 11:30 am-
12:15 pm
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants
in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are
common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories
to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items.
Support, Inc. has provided residential services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 31 years. When you join the Support Family, you are guaranteed a strong and experienced team to meet your needs.
The Support Inc. Difference
Support provides exceptional customer service from day one. Our Intake Team scrutinizes referrals for person-specific details and takes a clinical approach to care. These referrals are not “just another number”. First, we scour every referral to be sure we are able to meet the individual’s needs. Whether you take the Family Caregiver Route or Host Home, we only accept referrals that we feel we are able to accommodate. We do everything we can to get creative with our solutions. By being more selective from the get-go, we reduce the likelihood of someone “blowing out” from their placement. Support is committed to long-term placements and as such, we do everything we can to ensure a solid match the first time around. With over 200 people in services, we can assure you that our creative and flexible approaches to problem-solving have led to excellent outcomes for those we serve.
If for some reason we need another option, we have plenty of Host Homes to choose from. This year alone, the Intake Team has onboarded over 70 new providers, and this doesn’t include the providers we’ve contracted with for many years. From Fort Collins down to Colorado Springs, Support has quite a few providers to choose from-let us find you the perfect match!
For those that opt for Family Caregiver, we have a committee dedicated to making this waiver as easy as possible for our new families coming into services. Our Family Caregiver Committee has dedicated countless hours to reviewing the family caregiver model and experience. We started by examining the onboarding process. Families go through so much to get into services, so we drastically reduced the amount of items needed to get onboarded as an employee. In addition, with ADP (our payroll system), we now have an online and paper option to get going as an employee. The committee also reviewed our training and regulatory training requirements to remove trainings that aren’t relevant or needed for a family who has been living in the world of IDD services for many years.
Ultimately, we focus on how to meet regulations while supporting families to be a family. And if the customer service alone doesn’t set us apart, our individualized budgets truly go above and beyond to meet the needs of the family. We design them to allow for far more flexibility than other agencies (vacations, rent/bill support, hobbies and interests of the individual, etc.). We also review them on a regular basis to ensure it continues to meet the families needs.
Lastly, we have our PCA option available to people in services. This can work a few different ways-sometimes we help our individuals switch the lease from one agency to the next while remaining in the same apartment. We’ve also assisted with moving our residents to a new setting and helping locate the perfect apartment. Our coordinators can help you find a place to live. You would be hard-pressed to identify a living situation we have yet to tackle. Support offers flexible living options, and we also have experience with working alongside HUD inspectors and maintaining Section 8 housing vouchers.
Aside from our residential services, we offer clinical services in-house. And did we mention our amazing Nursing Team and Benefits Specialist? Support, Inc. offers well-rounded, person-centered services with unmatched customer service. At Support, we are redefining the life experience for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Learn more about the supports we offer by contacting our Intake Team at Intake@supportinc.com.
Please join us in congratulating Corrie and Chris Colburn as our recent recipients for Host Home Provider of the Month. The following write-up was produced by RPC Jared Trembly:
I want to nominate Chris and Corrie Colburn as Providers of the Month. Since my client had moved in with them earlier in the year they have been extremely amenable and understanding HHP’s. Though the dynamic can be somewhat tricky, their household has been one of stability and comfort for their clients. I do not worry about the level of care each client receives because I know they will be treated the with love, respect and dignity they each deserve. Their communication is top notch and they exemplify the professionalism we look for in Support Inc Host Home Providers. Thank you Chris and Corrie for being outstanding providers for our clientele and embodying the Support Inc ideals!
