Staying Safe
In the wake of COVID-19, Fidelity Health Care and Premier Community Health are providing safe care and essential resources.
During the uncertain times of COVID-19 and beyond, Fidelity Health Care provides safe home health care, preparing staff and protecting both patients and staff during visits.
At the same time, Premier Community Health (PCH) helps local businesses and organizations reopen following the recent mandatory closures. PCH provides essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), temperature screenings, staff training, and other support services for a safe return to business.
Reassuring Patients
Some Fidelity Health Care patients expressed concern about having a caregiver coming into their home, said Mary Walters, vice president and chief nursing officer at Fidelity Health Care. “When we review the steps we take to protect them and assure
them that their safety is important to us, most are okay in moving forward,” Walters says. “By working closely with the patients, families, and the physician, Fidelity Health Care helps patients remain safe, comfortable, and independent
in the privacy of their own home.”
All Fidelity care providers wear a mask in the home and the patient is asked to wear one, too, if possible. Health assessments and temperature checks are made daily to ensure no one with flu-like symptoms or fever goes into a home. Clients are asked, in turn, to tell caregivers if they or family members have flu-like symptoms, a fever, or were tested for COVID-19.
Fidelity also works closely with the Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice to ensure the safety of patients, Walters says.
Resources for Employers
Through educational programs, PCH has shared an array of information and answers to many questions in a COVID-19 world. “We provide anything that we can … a lot of the requests are around education,” says Roopsi Narayan, director, Premier Community Health. “We let employers know they can rely on their local health care system for the answers.”
With the arrival of COVID-19 restrictions, PCH initiated free virtual workshops on topics such as mindful eating, well-being, and crisis and stress management.
Through their Durable Medical Equipment branch, PCH fulfilled many requests for personal protective equipment from essential businesses, such as face shields for the local Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) bus drivers.
Temperature screening services are still being provided to area businesses. A “Train the Trainer” program is available for companies that need assistance with managing ongoing screenings, Narayan says. “The goal is to provide needed resources to employers in the community. They are grateful for having this resource,” she adds.
Back to the Summer 2020 issue of Feel Good magazine.
Mary Walters
Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Fidelity Health Care
