COVID-19

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

CoHomes cares! Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents and team. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 data and adjusting accordingly. 

The CDC COVID-19 County Check is a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area.   

On March 5, 2022, CoHomes COVID-19 guidelines changed based on the CDC COVID-19 County Check. We are watching the community levels in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Union, Lancaster (SC), and York (SC) counties (reference below). Only fully vaccinated people with face mask are allowed inside of CoHomes. We are taking additional precautions to protect the elderly and immunocompromised individuals.

Here is the link to the CDC COVID-19 County Check:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

Keep in mind that we are a small six bed community, and 100% of our residents and team members are fully vaccinated. Plus, all new residents must be fully vaccinated before moving in. Unfortunately, large assisted living facilities have more residents and a larger staff that may not be fully vaccinated, which creates greater exposure and a higher probability for the transmission of COVID.

We are small, attentive, and taking preventative steps to remain COVID-Safe and COVID-Free, which includes the following:

• caregiver to resident ratio is 1:1 up to 1:6
• only fully vaccinated visitors with face mask are allowed inside the designated visitation areas. CALL FOR CURRENT VISITATION STATUS.
• whole house high performing air filters were installed to support healthy air levels by filtering out allergens, bacteria, and viruses
• room air purifiers to filter out airborne allergens, germs, and viruses using UV light and HEPA filtration for better air quality
• maintaining social distancing of at least 6 feet whenever possible
• providing PPE to our residents and team, and require daily temperture checks
• requesting everyone to use soap and warm water to frequently wash their hands for 20 seconds
• requiring everyone, except the residents, to wear masks at all times
• requesting everyone, except the residents, to wear new gloves or wash or sanitize their hands before and after physically touching a resident
• requesting everyone to cover their mouth with tissue when sneezing or coughing and to immediately wash their hands and spray disinfectant
• frequently cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects
• helping residents, if needed, with video calls, social media, texting, and email to keep them connected with family and friends
• recommending the use of telehealth, if available
• requesting that residents only leave CoHomes for medical reasons, and wears a face mask at all times and social distance 6ft or more whenever possible
• team members are not permitted to enter CoHomes if they are sick and are required to follow CDC guidelines to safely return to work including getting tested for COVID and receiving negative results; or having no fever for three full days without the use medicine that reduces fevers and other symptoms have improved; and at least 7 days after first symptoms have appeared.

“While everyone is tired of the pandemic and wants it to be over, we need to continue distancing and wearing masks to slow the spread as we diligently work to achieve high vaccination rates,” said Peggy Honein at CDC. 

Our preparation, prevention, and care is based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), American Health Care Association (AHCA), National Center For Assisted Living (NCAL), North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Mecklenburg County Health Department, and other health care facilities.

Here are a few helpful links:

*Did you know that the CDC has created a self-checker to help you determine when or if you should seek medical attention?   CLICK HERE FOR THE CDC COVID SELF-CHECKER

* CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/

* WHO - https://www.who.int/

* AHCA and NCAL - https://www.ahcancal.org/Assisted-Living/Pages/default.aspx

* NCDHHS - https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard

* Mecklenburg County - https://www.mecknc.gov/covid-19/Pages/Home.aspx

* Free COVID Test - https://www.covid.gov/tests

Our COVID-19 response may change without notice based on newfound information. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Latest changes added on 1/29/2023.