Should home care workers wear a face mask at their client's homes during the COVID-19 pandemic?
There are two home care workers who come to my parents' home (one during the week and the other on the weekend), and neither of them wear a face mask in my parents' house. Both of these workers are around other people outside of my parents' house, because they go to the grocery store, they share their home with their spouse/boyfriend, children. However, there's no rule in our state requiring that home care workers wear a face mask.
Should the workers be wearing face masks as a precaution to prevent spreading the virus in the homes of their elderly clients? If you are a home care worker, have you been wearing a face mask at your client's home? By the way, I realize what a pain it is to wear a mask: they are hard to breathe through, they get hot, they're annoying & can be uncomfortable. But this is about protecting the clients (who are already isolated in their homes during the virus) from outside exposure.
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Our health advice was to only wear masks if sick (to protect others) or if you have a health problem (to protect yourself). Sick people must stay home of course, but may need to go out briefly for medical appointments.
EMTs seem to wear masks when in close proximity to people but lower them when not.
My sister gets home carers & I asked if they wore masks. I was surprised when she said sometimes, but not all the time! But then I realised they may be doing as the EMTs are. Since our community transfer is low, I thought this is probably ok?
Then I found out my sister had cold symptoms (runny nose, headache, sore throat & cough). I just HOPE she told each of the multiple carers visiting she had symptoms! These carers have lists of clients each. I am horrified. I have phoned the agency to ensure all her carers have full PPE & are alerted.
I’ve been checking in by phone at my parents' house at different times of the day, and the aide hasn't been wearing a face mask when I've called. And this is when she's within 6 feet of my dad. My parents want the aide to wear a mask, and hopefully they'll say something to her asap, but I'm not sure if she'll do what they ask, because she has an attitude at times and doesn’t always follow their requests, and she gets emotional (cries) when my parents ask her not to do something, so they sometimes feel uncomfortable making a request. They shouldn't feel this way in their own home. I asked my mom to display a sign stating that all workers in their home are to wear a mask, so I'll have to check back again on that sign (I'm unable to go to my parents' house at this time, or I'd make the sign for them).
I contacted my state's consumer protection agency and asked whether home aides should be wearing a mask, and the person who responded seemed concerned and said that someone from a different department should get in touch with me. I also contacted a professional home companion agency that has been in business for many decades, and they told me that they require all of their aides to wear face masks and, depending on the level of care, other PPE. They seem really professional, as opposed to the agency who my parents currently have, and my parents desperately want to have a more professional agency.
"more professional agency" ✔️. Hope you can achieve that soon.
These is new ground for everyone in the west and the choices are yours. Demand the minimal protection or play russian roulette.
Are they uncomfortable with it ?
And caregivers should also be using gloves and possibly gowns over their clothes whenever in the home as well. Every safety precaution should be taken: "Protect don't infect" has been a motto in Hawaii.
Be an advocate for your parents'
Health and wellness.
I told them mine weren't so they are going to tell them to. I said if they are more than 6 feet away I wouldn't be as concerned but if they get up to wait on him I want mask on
My dad has a HHA who comes four days a week ,and when the pandemic first began I said to her that if she or anyone she was around became sick to let me know.She showed up one day sick wearing a mask .I sent her away for a week and she got tested.
She comes wearing a mask and gloves and if she didn't she wouldn't be allowed in.
Just curious....which state are you from?
COVID-19 FACTS:
1 - This virus can be deadly for the older population, those with heart disease, those with lung disease, those with diabetes and those with immune response issues.
2 - Incubation of disease is anywhere from 2 days to 6 weeks, 2 weeks being the usual.
3 - Transmission can be through inhaling infected exhalations of others or touching infected surfaces and then touching face or mucus membranes. A cough will travel farther than 6 feet. Individuals may be asymptomatic when spreading the disease. Most will have a dry cough and fever. Other symptoms resemble flu or upper respiratory infection.
4 - There is no vaccine yet. There are a few drugs that are promising for treating symptoms but nothing that will "kill" the virus.
5 - Illness spectrum. 75-80% of people will have no symptoms or mild symptoms (walking pneumonia). The remaining 20% will develop pneumonia that will require respiratory assistance in a hospital - including mechanical ventilation. Those that survive being hospitalized may need extensive rehab to rebuild muscle and endurance. There is a risk of permanent lung scarring leaving those patients with impaired quality of life. 3-5% of the population will probably die and almost all of those will be from the hospitalized patients.
The goal of social distancing efforts - masks, social distancing, increased hygiene and cleaning procedures - is to reduce the number of patients requiring ventilator care in our hospitals. In effect, the slow down the spread so we always have enough health care resources.
We will not have an end to this disease until every person meets 1of 2 criteria:
1 -successfully recovered from infection with positive test for antibodies
2 - vaccine administered and converted to positive test for antibodies