With the COVID-19 virus dominating the way we live, it has become imperative to keep our seniors safe. While it was always a concern to keep the elderly safe and healthy, it has never been more prevalent. In addition to all the protocol that was already involved in a nursing home, now there are all the precautions related to COVID-19. Below are some ways that nursing homes can stay safe from the virus and the other day-to-day risks.
Employee Background Checks
When a nursing home employs caregivers, they may not be licensed nurses. While this is not always required, you may not know what their past has been like. Not only should the nursing home call their previous employers to vet their work history, it is also a good idea to conduct a simple background check and find out about anything you should know. By showing due diligence, you can avoid complications that may arise from hiring someone who could disrupt the harmony of the nursing home. Vetting the employees of the nursing home will create a good atmosphere to start with.
Maintain Facilities
When you’re working with the elderly, it is important that the facilities are kept up. Maintaining the medical equipment and home furniture will make all the difference. The home should be kept clean and when something needs to be replaced it should be replaced. It’s crucial to spread out the beds and other places of leisure so that if one of the residents does get the virus, you can do your best to avoid spreading it to the others. The facilities of a nursing home should be maintained and evolved with the residents and their needs. Employees should do their best to keep the facilities safe.
Limit Visitations
Visitations should be limited during the times of COVID-19. Not only should they be kept to a minimum, visits need to be kept safe. In nursing homes, it is a good idea to have them take place outside. Direct sunlight kills the virus and being outdoors provides a way to physically distance from each other. The number of people who are visiting overall should be kept to a low number. Try using zoom calls so the residents of the nursing homes can talk to their loved ones while remaining safe. There should be a system put in place for safe visits that will prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Create a Contingency Plan
Whether it’s to respond to COVID-19 or another sickness or event, you should create contingency plans that will help your employees respond. When it comes to an outbreak like COVID-19, specific things need to be done to ensure that the other residents can avoid contracting the virus. If you have become aware that someone is exposed, they should be fully quarantined.
You’ll need to enforce mask wearing as well as any other measures that will protect the others. Then you should get everyone tested. Testing everyone immediately will help the employees find out who has been infected and begin their treatment as soon as possible. While COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus that you need to have a plan to respond to when someone has been exposed, there should be contingency plans for all kinds of health situations.
During this time of the pandemic, it should be a reminder that it is the responsibility of the care home to take care of residents who live there. Basic things need to be maintained while the employees should change and adapt to new challenges. While COVID-19 remains the biggest challenge for the elderly, others are still relevant and need to be remembered in order to do the best the employees can for each resident. Investing in skilled and caring employees as well as facilities that give your residents the chance to have a great end to their life.
Nursing homes are a place where the residents should be comfortable, happy, and safe. During this time of the virus, extra precautions should be taken to keep everyone in the home away from the possibility of contracting COVID-19 but this mindset can be used to make nursing homes more efficient and effective in general.
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