COVID-19 Announcement-Independence Home Care is actively monitoring daily

Dear Clients and Families,

Independence Home Care has always been on the front line of community health care. We are experts in delivering care, comfort and compassion to people in the safety of their homes. During the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic our commitment remains unchanged. Our team will ensure that our clients and families receive expert care and – most importantly – peace of mind. We continue to be fully operational and deploy healthy and educated staff across Central New Jersey. Our nurses and home health aides continue to provide care, education, and emotional support to our clients and their families.

In times like these, I am reminded of what a true honor it is to lead a team of selfless, dedicated people whose immediate impulse is to ask, “How can we help?” Many of our clients and families have also reached out to offer support. I wanted to take this time to thank each and everyone of you for rising to the occasion and specifically to thank our team of amazing Home Health Aides. Thank you all and please remember to always call us if you have any questions. We are all here to help in any way we can.

In case you missed our earlier announcements about the COVID-19 and how we are managing our team, I have attached our current protocol for your reference. Along with the CDC guidelines, below you will also find the additional recent changes we have made in light of COVID-19 and our commitment and prevention of community spread in Senior Care Facilities and our entire Community.

New Referrals for Care: Our Nurses will not be doing on-site visits at and Senior Facility such as Skilled Nursing Homes, Assisted Livings or Hospitals unless absolutely necessary. We are able to perform a thorough telephone assessment prior to discharge along with Docusigning our consent forms. Our Nurse will then be dispatched along with the assigned CHHA to the client’s home once they are discharged from the facility.

Current Clients: Our Nurses will perform telephone assessments and be in close communication with the assigned CHHAs and family members to ensure the health and well-being of all. Only urgent essential RN visits will be performed. Aides will continue their regular schedules without interruption.

Our Certified Home Health Aides: All of our CHHAs have been and will continue to be informed of all CDC guidelines and we are also reinforcing the following:

• Frequent hand washing before touching and after touching a client for at least 20 seconds with hot water and hand soap.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or elbow and wash your hands after.
• Stay home if you are sick and seek medical attention if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 which are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
• Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is provided as needed.
• Daily monitoring of symptoms to ensure all staff are disease free.
• We have asked all of our employees to stop attending large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. If they attend a gathering, we are asking them to take a 14-day leave of absence and to self-monitor at home for symptoms.
• Employees or prospective employees that have been out of the country must wait at least 14 days before returning to work or being considered for work and by asymptomatic.

We are confident that by implementing these new changes we can prevent the spread of the virus and keep our community healthy. We are asking for you all to do your part as well by staying calm but vigilant.

For more information visit the site below:
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/novel-coronavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml

Thank you all and stay healthy and safe!

All my Best,
Teresa Sajkowski, RN
Owner of Independence Home Care