July 7th Covid Update

July 7, 2020

Dear Key family,                                                                   

Our number one priority at the Key Training Center has been helping to protect our clients, residents, and staff from COVID-19.  We moved swiftly to add additional measures on top of existing plans and infection control protocols to prevent the spread of an infectious disease.  Our staff and clients in all departments have done a fantastic job coping with COVID-19 challenges.

Due to the rise in cases of the COVID-19 activity in our State and our community, we have decided to postpone our 2nd phase reopening initially scheduled for Monday, July 13, for our day services programs.  We will continue with Phase 1 and revisit the possibility of implementing Phase 2 at the end of the month.

All of our facilities follow the CDC’s recommendations on prevention steps, including following strict handwashing procedures and infection control procedures. All clients and staff are consistently screened before entering the day, residential, business office, and retail facilities. All clients’ health continues to be assessed and monitored.

To date, we have had no client or staff positive COVID-19 cases.

We have been blessed with a bubble of protection but have procedures in place if we experience a staff or client positive COVID-19 case.  As our staff has home and family responsibilities when they leave their Key work, they all understand the importance of community social distancing and health pre-screening before starting their job to keep the Key clients, fellow staff members, retail customers, and their own families healthy and safe.  We thank each of them for their dedication and commitment to our clients and job responsibilities.

We continue to be under the strict no visitations Emergency Order-006 issued by the Governor on March 15, 2020, and enforced by the Agency for Health Care Administration and Agency for Persons with Disabilities.  No visitors are allowed in group homes outside of the narrow list of exceptions listed: family members, friends, and visiting residents in end-of-life situation; Hospice or palliative care workers caring for residents in end-of-life situations; any individuals providing necessary health care to a resident, facility staff and residents, and representatives of the federal or State government seeking entry as part of their official duties, including, but not limited to, Agency for Health Care Administration and Agency for Persons with Disabilities.  Even with approved exceptions, all visitors, staff, and clients will continue to go through an in-depth screening protocol. If a person has a fever (100.4 or above) OR any of COVID-19 symptoms, they will not be allowed to enter the Day Services program or Residential facility.  We thank those individuals who follow our non-visitation rules and help us educate and discourage residents from leaving home.   As the situation regarding COVID-19 continues to change rapidly, we continue to ask for your prayers, patience, and understanding in assisting us with complying with non-visitation standards to reduce risk to our Adult Day Program clients and residents, and the staff who support them, to potential exposure or spread of COVID-19.

As we all battle to flatten the COVID-19 curve, we urge everyone to be diligent and practice safe practices.

Wash your hands often

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • It’s especially important to wash: Before eating or preparing food, before touching your face; after using the restroom, leaving a public place, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, handling your cloth face covering, changing a diaper, caring for someone sick, touching animals or pets.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact

  • Inside your home: avoid close contact with people who are sick. If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
  • Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
  • Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.
  • Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

  • You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
  • The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
  • Everyone should wear a cloth face cover in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
  • Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

Clean and disinfect

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. Then, use a household disinfectant.

Monitor Your Health Daily

  • Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.  Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
  • Take your temperature if symptoms develop. Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call 352.795.5541: Theresa Flick, Director of Program Operations, ext. 224; Barbara Branch, Director of Day Services, ext. 244; Cole Kiser, Director of Residential Services, ext. 227; or Tinker Bowen, ext. 106.

My office letter board still reads, “WE WILL ALL GET THROUGH COVID-19 TOGETHER”.  Please keep all the Key staff, clients, and our community in your prayers as we continue to deal with COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Melissa Walker Executive Director