The world at large is currently in the process of adjusting life’s daily operations. In an attempt to cut down on the spread of coronavirus, a lot is changing. Nearly all of us have heightened precautions during COVID-19 to cut down on the transfer or illness. Some countries, states, and local governments are calling on citizens to stay inside completely with as little social contact with others as possible.
With these adjustments come the necessary adjustments of many businesses. For New Wave Home Care, this not only means responding to societal protocol, but keeping our clients safe. We want to share our own adjustments, preparations and precautions during COVID-19.
Basic Preparations
While many Americans were still going about daily life, New Wave Home Care recognized the implications of coronavirus early. Nearly a month ago, we began safety preparations before the WHO officially announced the virus’s pandemic status.
One important stage of our preparations entailed educating for best practices in cutting down on spread. We educated both our staff and clients on the necessary adjustments to make in order to best keep everyone healthy and safe. This included emphasizing the proper approaches to washing hands, sanitizing surfaces and personal belongings, and cutting down on face-touching. We also recommended that clients stock up on any critical supplies, including medication, that they need.
Our New Wave Home Care offices also underwent a stress test before online work became necessary. Before many businesses had to officially move online, we hammered out protocols for cutting down on in-person office work. This included practicing video conference calling in order to keep our operations up and running when larger gatherings officially needed to halt.
Adjusting to Social Distancing Early
Whereas most communities have fully implemented social distancing in the past couple of weeks, we began this practice in our early stages of preparation. In February, we encouraged clients and staff to cut down on as many in-person social interactions as possible. In hindsight, we are proud to have implemented these practices at the time we did. Social distancing is the most effective way to cut down on the otherwise exponential spread of COVID-19. Providing this information before it was widely publicized by news media means that we were able to protect our clients–many of whom are considered at-risk for coronavirus–early on.
Rescheduling Non-Essential Medical Appointments
Many of our clients are at an age requiring more frequent medical visits and procedures than other populations. With many sick people potentially carrying COVID-19 lining up at medical facilities, we realize that these may not be the best places for our clients to visit unless absolutely necessary. In light of this we are helping our clients cut down appointments that would increase their risk of exposure to coronavirus. Luckily, we have been able to help many of our clients find alternative ways of meeting non-critical medical needs. In the past month we have guided clients in utilizing FaceTime and Skype, allowing them to video call with doctors for remote medical appointments.
When these approaches are not possible, we encourage many clients to reschedule non-essential appointments. For example, a client might be encouraged to reschedule a knee replacement surgery. The surgery, while important to improving their quality of life in the long-run, is not an urgent surgery. Rescheduling certain procedures to a later date greatly cuts down on client’s potential exposure to COVID-19.
Looking Ahead
Without a doubt, the current crisis regarding coronavirus is an evolving situation. We expect that many communities, individuals, and businesses will have to further adapt to the situation as time progresses. We are proud, however, to be taking all of the necessary precautions to keep our clients and staff safe. Addressing the outbreak early has given us a higher level of preparedness than much of the country at large.
We understand that the outcome of this pandemic is not fully in our hands. We cannot control nature or definitively prevent illness–but we are taking our responsibilities seriously. By taking all precautions necessary, we aim to continue to provide our clients with the care they need during this pandemic.
More About Precautions to Take During COVID-19
There are many online resources to stay informed about the spread of the coronavirus, but it is important to differentiate fact from misspoken claims about the virus. We want to help you access the most factual information about the coronavirus, and recommend visiting the CDC and WHO websites for updates. Additionally, we will continue to post frequent updates on the New Wave Home Care site. For more information from NWHC on COVID-19, please visit our updates page.
