Communicating with Providers

All Home Care Providers. 

Interview all home care providers BEFORE THEY VISIT YOUR HOME and EACH TIME they visit your home. This means in in home nurses, therapists, direct support staff, PCAs, Homemakers, Companions, ILS Workers, ARMHS Workers, etc.

Home Care Agencies. 

If you are using an agency, contact them to find out what they are doing to educate the staff that serves you. If they are not doing anything or enough, don’t be afraid to take charge and supply them the information and education.

Primary Care Clinic. 

If you have upcoming medical appointments, check your provider’s web site to see about how to engage with them. If there is no info on their web site, call to inquire. You may want to begin requesting remote appointments if those are available to you. you may also want to postpone any treatments that are not life threatening or that are related to rapid decompensation. Use the triage nurse on the back of your insurance card to triage conditions if you’re not sure how to handle them. Or call the triage nurse at your Primary Care Physician’s office to get a consult on whether you should come in or not.

Home Care Staff (Agency or Choice Staff)

Train by Email. Email staff the videos and instructions for maintaining health and safety in your home. Call them to make sure they received it. Ask them to email you back indicating that they have reviewed the material.

Interview all staff  BEFORE THEY VISIT YOUR HOME and EACH TIME they visit your home. 

Request Phone Call Upon Arrival. Ask providers to call before they come to your home especially if they are accustomed to coming in independently. This way you can train them from start to finish and oversee their compliance with the protocols.

Upon Entry, ask them to clean the doorknobs and handles they used to enter your home so the next person who comes will also be protected.

Oversee Hand Washing Protocol. Have them wash their hands at a designated sink BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE and DO NOT TOUCH anything else along the way. Watch them to ensure that they understand and are following the protocol. Demonstrate if you are able to. Or correct them if they make a mistake. Have the poster instructions posted to remind them for easy reference.

Reminders. Prevent potential spread by reminding them to not touch their face or breathe on you. Ask them to hold their breath while assisting with positioning or a transfer.