During this holiday season, the True Care Family is thankful for many things. We are grateful for our clients, our caregivers, and all of our hardworking office staff. Most of all, we are thankful for your trust as we work together in this challenging time.
Holiday celebrations will undoubtedly look different this year as indoor and outdoor gatherings and travel options are severely limited. Let’s commit to staying in touch with our family members, friends, and neighbors safely so we can all feel connected during the holiday season. Phone calls, voice and video messages, snail-mail letters and cards, and gifts ordered by mail are all great ideas. No gesture is too small; let’s be creative so everyone can feel included in the holiday celebrations.
COVID-19 has changed the way we live, and we have to be creative about maintaining our health.
Maintaining a healthy diet during a pandemic can be challenging. IIn an effort to avoid extra trips to the store or staying home, you may be relying on take-out foods and have less access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to vary your food intake; frozen fruits and vegetables (with no added salt or sugar) are a great alternative to fresh. Be careful with salt, fat, and oils, especially in take out foods, canned foods, and frozen meals. Choose healthier take-out options such as steamed or grilled instead of fried, and look for frozen dinners with low salt or no added salt.
Telemedicine with televisits and other options to “see” the doctor without going to the doctor’s office has been a welcomed option. Many in-person visits can now be done with telemedicine options. If your doctor has not offered televisits, please call them to see if that is an option.
Not all visits can be done remotely; therefore, some in-person visits may be necessary. Don’t push off necessary screenings and other preventative care programs. Call your doctor to check if you are due or overdue for any important tests or screenings. Ask them what their office safety policies are and if you can go to the office first thing in the morning or as the last visit of the day to reduce exposure in the waiting room. Avoiding care can lead to serious future health problems. Mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies, PSA tests (for prostate cancer screening), and other screenings have exhibited a significant decline in 2020 compared to previous years. Don’t push off necessary medical appointments, especially immunizations, screenings, preventative care, and chronic disease management.
True Care offices remain fully operational as an essential business.
Personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves, gowns, and eye protection, is available at all offices for the home health aides’ and nurses’ use. Please contact True Care if you have any questions about personal protective equipment for your True Care home health aide or nurse.
All True Care staff is committed to upholding all infection control policies and regulations. We have strict policies regarding self-screening, travel restrictions, COVID-19 exposure, personal protective equipment, and all aspects of safety while True Care provides care programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The True Care human resources department, compliance team, and the COVID safety team have been working together to educate and train our staff members. They disseminate information and continuously examine and re-examine policies and regulations. Because of this, we can offer the most up-to-date resources for our staff, clients, and their families.
Please call our COVID hotline if you have any questions at 929-474-9322.
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/10/interimguidance_traveladvisory.pdf
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory
