At Seniors Helping Seniors of Greater Boston & Metrowest, the safety, health and well-being of our caregivers and clients is our #1 priority. Given the international attention on COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and the rise of cases in the communities we serve, we wanted to share our protocols to ensure that all in the SHS community are aware of best practices to prevent transmission.
We are currently open and operating, but we’re making changes to continue to address all that is unfolding around us. The following prevention protocols and recommendations have been shared with our caregivers, clients and families.
- If a caregiver, or anyone in their home is sick, the caregiver will contact our office so that we can find coverage for the caregiver’s shift(s) or reschedule to a later date.
- Everyone should wash their hands often with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds. If hand-washing is unavailable, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be used. All surfaces touched must also be wiped down/sanitized.
- All caregivers should use alcohol-based sanitizer (if available) on their hands and wipes on their phones before entering a client’s home; after entering, shoes must be removed and hands washed.
- Avoid touching frequently-used public objects with hands, such as elevator buttons and doorknobs.
- No handshaking or hugging — social distancing must be maintained; this is a great opportunity to sing, share stories and enjoy nature with clients. Many cities and museums are offering online tours, which is a great way for caregivers and clients to bond and reminisce.
- Get a flu shot, not because it will prevent the spread of Coronavirus, but to stay healthy and out of the hospital
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and immediately wash hands. Avoid touching eyes, mouth, and nose.
Please let us know if anything changes within your needs or if we can be of assistance to you in a non-traditional way. We are currently putting into place smaller, task-specific services that we can provide, including check-in services, both via phone and in person, as well as laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping/delivery. Our team is here to help you, so please call us at (617) 877-3163 with any questions or requests, for the above services, caregiving, or anything else you may need.
We also understand that many communities in which we work have restrictions in place, and that Coronavirus has and will impact our community and the work we do. But we are all in this together.
We appreciate your support and will be sure to keep you all fully up-to-date.