The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has highlighted the vulnerability of seniors and the benefits of “aging in place” for at-risk populations. When deciding on whether to move into an assisted-living facility or to pursue in-home care, there have always been a number of factors for seniors and their families to consider. These have always included price, comfort, socialization and convenience. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the spread of contagious diseases rarely passed through the mind of family members, but now it’s something that I am hearing regularly when I receive calls from people searching for care.
Assisted-living facilities and senior communities have responded admirably to the outbreak by limiting group activities, doing daily temperature checks on staff, separating staff that care for ill residents and increasing the use of PPE (personal protective equipment). However, the risk of transmission still exists for highly contagious viruses like COVID-19 since there are so many different points of contact. It’s easy to imagine one infected staff member passing the virus to just one resident, who can in turn pass it to other staff members, and along to other residents. In contrast, home care generally involves a senior living at home who can control their level of exposure to the outside world, and a single caregiver taking care of them. The precautions that in-home caregivers have taken are identical to those taken by staff in a facility, but the risks of exposure for both parties are just much lower.
Government data will eventually tell us how many of the COVID-19 infections originated at assisted-living facilities, but the anecdotal evidence is already pushing many families to pursue in-home care alternatives for seniors. Home Helpers is happy to provide an in-home care alternative to seniors and their families and is thankful for all essential workers helping take care of seniors, whether that be at home or in assisted-living facilities.
For more information, contact Home Helpers at 805-777-8111 or visit HomeHelpersHomeCare.com/ThousandOaks.