Notes from Glenn entering the 11th week of supporting our Clients and Caregivers, with office team & nurses working remotely.
I’m optimistic and pleased that we have adjusted so quickly to the realities of working within the new current COVID standards. This has both challenged and surprised me and the WFC staff as we observe ourselves carrying out new behaviors, learning to adjust along the way and being generous with our time.
Readiness and Recovery
There are signs of a slow recovery with either returning or planning to return to a modified normal over the next several months. Business activity has increased and our staff is ready for the specific demands of the COVID period. We have started services for a variety of new clients and many thanks to our referral partners for their confidence.
Some recent examples to illustrate what we’re doing differently vs. pre-COVID times:
- We’ve developed a readiness to handle new and special situations. When very few providers would provide care to COVID-positive patients, we offered caregiving during the most acute phases of the disease. It’s been sobering to live through the fatalities but also uplifting to assist with our clients’ recoveries.
- We’ve become busier than normal networking with community and business organizations. COVID has led us to put ourselves out there, to promote best practices, to learn as we go along, and to give back when possible.
- We are screening and caregivers’ temperatures before each shift. In addition, we are conducting regular diagnostic COVID testing of our caregivers working in facilities.
- We participated in a birthday celebration for our client Odessa C. who turned 100 years old last week. Odessa was tickled to be congratulated for her surprise birthday celebration by welcoming a long caravan of cars parading by her front door with placards and singing and horn-blowing. Special guests were Congressman Eliot Engel and Mt.Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. Odessa was also presented with a proclamation from the city of Yonkers.
Our Director of Business Development, Catherine Lanza, has been particularly busy all through the COVID period doing outreach to our clients and partners. She’s worked hard maintaining contacts and relationships in the community, helping facilities take care of residents and offering a lending hand to care managers and referral sources.
A recent anecdote about a well-respected care manager in the industry is especially worth noting. This meticulous professional was so busy managing her cases to take care of her own personal needs. Catherine went above and beyond to tend to some personal shopping and errands for her just the way she would have done it herself. She was most appreciative.
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- Catherine enjoys shopping for clothes, but not for food. She donned her mask and gloves, and ventured to a supermarket she had never been to – with a 4 page typed list – and went to town to make sure she got all the items, in the right quantity and quality. She came out a little sweaty, but proud that her deed was extremely appreciated!!!
Helping Family Caregivers Prepare for Their Return to Work
We continue to be fully staffed, ready to assist new and existing clients whose family members were providing care during this period when they were also home from their jobs. During this period many clients and family members were concerned about having additional people in their homes but they’re moving away from managing the parent’s short-term needs and planning for longer-term care now that they’re heading back to work.If not, we can add it to the Coming Soon section below.
Wear Your Mask!
New York State recently ran a great ad contest asking applicants to submit their best commercial built around the theme of wearing a mask for safety during this COVID period. I found it inspiring and believe these public service announcements will help raise awareness of the urgency to wear a mask for self-protection and to protect those around you.
Check out the contest and its finalists and winners:
First Place Ad:
Second Place Ad:
The contest reinforces the requirement for the general public along with the requirements under which WFC Operates from NYS Dept of Health:
- All caregivers and client-facing staff wear surgical masks routinely for every shift;
- We wear fitted N95 Masks with COVID-positive clients;
May 29th Boston Fundraiser with Dropkick Murphys and Bruce Springsteen
I continue to be in awe of the virtual fundraising and community events from the music and arts across all genres. Here is a YouTube clip from their recent concert fundraiser at Fenway Park without fans but with amazing production. The host band was Boston’s own Dropkick Murphys who were told that COVID regulations limited attendance to no more than 35 people.
This selection of “American Land” is especially timely and touching for this time.
The band ended up playing to a large global virtual audience of with 18 crew and band members and broadcasting Bruce Springsteen on the Jumbotron via satellite. And 37,731 empty seats in Fenway. The fundraiser was a success. Can anything ever stop American ingenuity and entrepreneurship when we’re challenged?
STAY SAFE. STAY HEALTHY. STAY HOME.
Westchester Family Care Inc. assists people of all ages, by customizing home care plans to maintain a healthy quality of life and safety at home.
Contact WFC for an immediate family need or when planning for future needs: info@westfamilycare.com, 914-764-7500, www.westchesterfamilycare.com.
Westchester Family Care Provides Peace of Mind and Confidence that the Elderly Are Safe and Living with Dignity in Their Own Home.