Dallas County Living Well Magazine September/October 2020 | Page 9

OLIVIA ROGERS Olivia is a leading voice in health care and senior services and the Chief Nursing Officer of VNA Texas. Dear Olivia, My questions are related to COVID-19, and I have so many! But my biggest questions are: should I be letting people in my home to help care for my mother, who is in her 80s, and if so, what should I expect them to wear, what questions do I ask, etc? ~Ready for all of this to be over! Dear Ready for all of this to be over, I could not agree more that we are all ready for life to return to “normal”, however strange that may look! But for now, you are wise to ask these questions, as it is so important to protect the most vulnerable to the virus. Each family will have to decide their comfort level with having people outside the immediate family in their home. In many cases, it is not realistic for the family to provide the level of care needed by their loved one, and many in our community need more care such as hospice or home health. All healthcare personnel or personal care attendants who enter any home-like setting (assisted living, memory care, independent living, an actual home, etc) should be screened daily according to common symptoms of COVID-19 before they go to work. (see the CDC link below). This is to ensure they do not spread the virus to clients and patients if they develop symptoms. Furthermore, before arrival to the home, they should call you or your loved one to screen the client/patient and family members to ensure there have been no new symptoms that could be related to COVID-19. This should be done daily before their arrival per the State of Texas regulations. Lastly, at a minimum, it is best practice for both your loved one and family who will be present and the healthcare provider or care attendant to wear a mask. That is the safest way to prevent transmission of germs. Should your loved one develop symptoms or actually test positive for COVID-19, then the caregiver will need to wear “full” personal protective equipment (PPE), which would include a mask, face shield or goggles, gown, and gloves. This is a challenging time, but with thorough screenings and the right PPE, we can get through this together! ~Olivia https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ downloads/COVID19-symptoms-11x17-en.pdf Meals on Wheels Hospice & Palliative Care vnatexas.org N I J H ACCREDITED Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS 2020 VNA Hospice Care VNA Hospice Care focuses on living life to its fullest and treating you with the dignity and respect you deserve. As a nonprofit, our bottom line is patient support and care provided by our highly qualified staff. VNA Care Choices Following the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, patients and their loved ones have many questions about the best course of action. VNA Care Choices provides supportive care services in the home while continuing treatment with your current physician. To schedule your free in-home informational visit please call [phone] or email [email protected] For volunteer opportunities please call [phone] or email [email protected] DALLAS COUNTY • 7