127 comments
Hello. My name is Kristen Federmeier. I have four adopted children with varying levels of disabilities, two of whom are on the DMAS waivers and receiving state services. I am asking you to please continue to give parents the option to conduct the mandatory monthly service facilitator visits virtually. The flexibility of televisits for our monthly meetings with service facilitators should be a permanent change for all managed care. Not only has the medical community seen the true benefit that televisits provide, but our waiver meetings have been far more productive. Our service facilitator sees and talks with our children at every televisit. I am able to have greater flexibility in scheduling because I don't have to meet somewhere or plan to be home for what is often a relatively short visit from our service facilitator. Juggling therapies, doctor's appointments, and life activities make even one more meeting a month a real burden. All this is in addition to the added health protection televisits provide. We all know that the number of illnesses is climbing as winter approaches. Asking a facilitator to go from house to house, visiting children and families with compromised immune systems, seems simply irresponsible. We work very hard to keep our children as healthy as possible to avoid trips to the ER and developmental regression that comes with illness. What would be for neurotypical children ordinary colds or infections, turn into much greater problems for our families. Televisits are a sensible option that save time, money, and make life simpler and safer for all involved. I ask you to please work to make the monthly tele-meetings a permanent change. Thank you very much for your consideration. I am happy to speak with you further if you would like to learn more about our experiences and needs.
Sincerely,.
Kristen Federmeier
517-918-4616
Hello,
I am contacting you about DMAS ending virtual visits starting in January 2023.
This decision poses a the threat to my children and many others with health problems.
I have 2 children I am writing you about; My autistic daughter and my autistic/ ileostomy foster son whom are both severely medically fragile and have many medical diagnosis.
Because of their medical state and being highly compromisable they both have special homebound services in the home setting for their school services.
All of my children's doctor's agree and continue sign forms when they are needed to ensure my children do not attend school in the physical building or have in person classes because of their high risk of getting sick.
DMAS should make it their first priority in keeping all individuals involved medically safe.
Individuals who are medically fragile should have the right to decide what is best for their overall health and well-being and for some this includes being able to continue to have virtual visits.
The in person visitation process does not just involve the individual receiving care in the home and the facilitators but, it also includes all the other families that receives services, as well as facilitators and their personal families also.
This process involves one person to see and come I contact with so many others on a regular basis.
What would be a simple cold to you or someone else could mean a hospital stay for days for those that are medically fragile if they caught a simple cold because their bodies have more complications fighting infections & viruses than the average person.
I am asking on the behalf of my children and many others that have to live with the struggle of trying to stay healthy and well to allow us to have the right to continue in person visits as an option past January 1st 2023 and going forward.
If hospitals and doctor's offices can continue to make this accommodation for medically fragile individuals in our community, DMAS should definitely allow this accommodation as well.
Thank you for your time and help with this issue.
Mrs.Green
Hello,
I am the parent of a special needs child that has autism, ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I myself have thyroid and parathyroid health issues as well as ADHD.
These children have so many appointments. The multitasking involved is off the charts.
Virtual appointments has made it easier to manage all the chaos o multiple appointments during very adverse circumstances.
We are tired, we are struggling and virtual appointments take some of the pressure off of a very stressful and chaotic life.
The Telehealth visits have been more productive and better communication as a whole.
I would like to ask that these appointments remain virtual as so many of these families are struggling to maintain on a day to day basis.
Thank you,
Tiffany
757-560-6804
Hello,
I am the parent of a special needs child that has autism, ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I myself have thyroid and parathyroid health issues as well as ADHD.
These children have so many appointments. The multitasking involved is off the charts.
Virtual appointments has made it easier to manage all the chaos o multiple appointments during very adverse circumstances.
We are tired, we are struggling and virtual appointments take some of the pressure off of a very stressful and chaotic life.
The Telehealth visits have been more productive and better communication as a whole.
I would like to ask that these appointments remain virtual as so many of these families are struggling to maintain on a day to day basis.
Thank you,
Tiffany
Please keep our families safe by continuing the virtual visits. Exposure to Covid and other diseases from outside parties not only puts our medically fragile families in danger, but also exposes everyone else in the household. When any member of the family is sick, it brings the delicate balance of running the household very difficult and can cause our child on Medicaid to miss important medical appointments, and she has many. The virtual visits are just as useful as the in-person ones - please allow this rule to stay.
I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the proposed document to remove the allowance for virtual delivery of case management face-to-face services. Having worked as a service provider in various services for over twenty-five years, it is nice to see decision makers reach out for feedback from people actually delivering and receiving services, before making choices about what works 'best'. Allowance of telehealth service delivery during the pandemic was essential in making sure people were able to continue supportive services in what was a very challenging time for all. What also came of this allowance was access to services for individuals who otherwise would not have participated. Individuals with barriers to access services were able to receive support and resources they never knew about before. Those who were reluctant to seek services, were able to reach out without leaving home. Despite what people in urban areas like Richmond think, there are many people in rural areas with limited or no access to consistent transportation. Public transportation does not exist outside town limits, and insurance funded transportation is incredibly unreliable, and also largely unavailable for many reasons. A tremendous amount of stigma still exists in society around seeking mental health, developmental, and substance use services. The barriers, the stigma, and the positive outcomes from telehealth options all have substantial amounts of data to show they exist. Do I believe individuals should have a right to choose in-person or telehealth service delivery? Yes. Do I believe providers should also have stipulations related to providing in-person services for individuals who may be in crisis, are medically fragile, or who indicate health and safety concerns? Definitely. However, in keeping services person centered, meeting people where they are, and trying to reach people who have needed help for so long and finally have it...let's consider all these things please before completely eliminating an option that could save a life or support an individual to break down a wall of reluctance. Additionally, from a practical standpoint as a parent, and as someone who grew up in a home with an individual with intellectual disability, consider that families are also pushed to the limit every day. Daily responsibilities in the most typical households are hard. When adding multiple services, many appointments, etc. we see people start to be documented as "noncompliant". They aren't noncompliant. They are tired. Thank you for consideration of the comment.
Hello all! I’m writing with grave concerns over the end of virtual visits. As we all know the last three years. we have had a very successful program of virtual visits, protecting our children, as well as our facilitators from harm due to Covid and other viruses. We all know Cove it is here to stay. Sadly, the two new variance that are spreading are invading even the ones that are vaccinated. I have a son who has severe and profound disabilities and immune compromised, placing our facilitators back into our homes monthly after they’ve seen many clients daily is a reckless health risk to our children with special needs. I am asking DMAS , please to reconsider for the ones of us that want to remain virtual. To keep in place the amendment that you DMAS , added saying at the end of PHE, there would still be an option to remain virtual. I am pleading not to risk our children’s lives with a strong possibility of exposure to a virus that has the potential to be deadly for many of our loved ones. Please reconsider and keep in place the amendment to PHE pertaining to virtual visits I greatly appreciate your time and attention and reconsidering virtual visits!
Sincerely, Theresa
I would like to express my concern to the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) regarding the return to in-person services facilitator visits starting January 1, 2023 for those who are receiving Medicaid Waiver Services. I am a mother of a severe, non-verbal, autistic child who has a compromised immune system. Most on the Autism Spectrum have compromised immune systems due to their internal, health conditions. It would be appreciated if these individuals, as well as others with compromised immunity, to have the option of whether the facilitator visits in-person or virtually. We have had no issues in the past three years with virtual visits. The facilitator can clearly see the patient, along with the inside of the home. Questions and concerns are discussed just as well as in-person, eliminating the worry of spreading a virus among other clients and their families. A facilitator will visit many families in one day. If infected with COVID-19 from one visit, or prior to visitations, the virus could spread to many people. I am not asking that everyone needs to participate in virtual visits, or it being the ONLY option, just asking that we be given a choice. A reconsideration into this matter would be most appreciated. Thank you.
I understand that workers need to see the client to be sure they are cared for properly but I also know we have to do everything we can to keep our person healthy and safe. We’d like to continue with the virtual visits.
5
Please allow virtual visits to continue with my sons service facilitator we do monthly visits my son is 34 yrs old and has never had covid during this whole pandemic not even as much as a cold we have kept him safe from others that may have been exposed by not letting them in my house.. the sf always sees my son on video and can see he's well taken care of.. please continue to help keep him safe
I am letting you know my son Austin Ruby has a wavier.
We have been with Moms in Motion for some time.
I just heard from Austin’s case worker that moms in motion will have in person visit soon. I am writing to you all saying we do not want this. We want to continue Austin’s visits with mom’s in motion online as we have been. So please respect our wishes by having Austin’s mom’s in motion visits virtually as we have been doing.
thank you. Jen Ruby - Austin Ruby’s mom
I want to keep doing virtual! With all the flu and covid out there i want to keep my home safe for my mom!
I will keep this short and sweet. Special needs children are extremely difficult to care for during illnesses. My children cannot communicate pain to me, take medications, etc. The home visitations done by the facilitator can absolutely be done virtually and with everything going around, I cannot understand why on earth you would want people traveling home to home spreading germs constantly. We have high risk individuals in my home and I implore and beg that you to keep the virtual option for service facilitation visits!
November 23, 2022
I writing this letter to state how my husband and I feel about service Facilitators coming in our home. We feel it easier on everyone if we continue to do virtual meetings every month. My husband suffers from a TBI and having people come in our home would not be good for his health or our children's health. With all the viruses, RSV and the flu going around it is absolutely insane to consider even changing at this point or ever. I feel your client "my husband Clayburne Steverson and I have the right to voice our concerns and be heard. So that is why I writing this email to hopefully help you understand how we feel about the situation. Please consider keeping the meetings virtual indefinitely. I have such a busy schedule caring for my husband and going to appointments, and also just everyday living. Last thing any of us need or want is to get sick and spread it to our elderly family members or immediate family members. Please contact me anytime at emafy4480@gmail.com via email or 540-336-2446 phone. Thank you in advance for making the right decision in this matter and having favor in making the decision that is beneficial and smart.
Sincerely,
Emili Jo Steverson
Ps. Happy Thanksgiving ?? ??
Although in person visits are more informative virtual events provide more safety. I am 71 years old and have high blood pressure and diabetes. I have taken extreme precautions to ensure the health and safety of my son. If I get sick then somebody has Cto care for my son. I am a single parent and even finding respite for a few hours a week has been difficult.
Please consider the health and safety.of the people receiving services by continuing with virtual events.
I have been advised that Virginia will eliminate the Public Health Emergency and return to face to face visits. I am totally against this. The virtual visits have been a god-send in keeping us safe. Facilitators will be required to visit multiple families exposing our family members as well as their own families to these ever mutating horrible viruses. The virtual visits have been successful, why change it and risk the health of our love ones. As the Governor has stated, parents know what's best for their children. The continuation of virtual visits is best for our population.
I have an immune compromised adult child with disabilities and now home visits are to reconvene in the middle of winter at the height of flu season. Our Moms in Motion rep will see numerous other people on the day of my sons visit and I don't want that. Virtual visits have been working wonderfully for the past almost 3 years. Given the workload of our representative it seems reckless to expect so much and create so much risk. Virtual visits shoukk l d be c an option for those who don't want to be exposed to such a risk.
Aren't we still in a PHE? Why in the world would we have facilitators back in the homes during a PHE? At least wait until the spring when hopefully the flu and RSV seasons are over or calmed down. Virtual visits are working. Why change them? Allow people to CHOOSE whether they want people in their homes like they are able to do now. I shouldn't feel threatened I'm going to lose my services if I don't agree with in person visits. I'm looking at the whole picture, not just my family's health but my facilitator and her family's health. Keep visits virtual please.
As I mentioned in my letter to the governor, it seems the state is going out of its way to conducting business in the MOST ineffcient, expensive way possible!
Why are we going back to in-person visits on a regular basis (for us it's monthly), spending unnecessary gas/mileage re-imbursement, slowing down the number of recipients that can be seen per week (back-logging the process and burning out the facilitators), when it's not necessary? It's far more efficient and convenient for the majority, and completes the requirements as fully as in-person visits.
Please reverse this poor decision as soon as possible. Thank you.
On November 18, 2022, we were notified that the DMAS home visits will be “uncoupled” from the PHE rules that allowed virtual visits as opposed to home visits by CMS for people receiving Medicaid Waiver Services. We just received our FIS waiver this April for our special needs child who is 22. For the last 3 years or so, we have had mostly only telehealth visits with our doctors as well as our providers so as to protect our son during the pandemic. We have also had very limited in-home assessments where our child has been present but in another room that we felt that we were either forced to have or was an absolute necessity. We do not attend large events, visit malls, go food shopping, eat in restaurants or allow people outside our immediate family to have access to our son, especially not in our home. We understand the concern over the length of time some people have not been physically seen by their DMAS providers. If there are concerns about certain people receiving waivers that have not been physically seen, they should be addressed on an individual basis. Your social workers should be familiar enough with their families to know who they would need to see in person and who they don’t. They should be investigated for dereliction of their duty if they do not. The safety and the health of our son as well as that of the providers should be factored into any decision or decree made by your office. We would be exposing our son not only to the provider, but also to EVERYONE that person has been exposed to in the last 5 days. We are not in any way comfortable with that.
Your campaign was run on the premise that parents have a right to choose how their children are educated. As not only our son’s parents but his Legal Guardians, we believe we also have the RIGHT to decide who we allow into our home during a pandemic or at any time. Just because we receive a Medicaid waiver does not negate that right. We are sure that there are many people who have returned to “normal” and their lives. That is not the case for the majority of people with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of severe illness and/or death from COVID. It is certainly not the case for this family. In addition, direct quotes from your COVID-19 Action Plan website state: “The pandemic is not over, and we must all stay vigilant about the health risks of COVID-19.” And “As cases and hospitalizations begin to decline, we should individually and collectively consider our own risk tolerance and what precautions we might change as the pandemic evolves.” Does this not apply to our own family and home?
We are a proud, retired military family who made sacrifices to serve our country and protect our rights. We expect that you will return that in kind and uphold the sanctity of our home for the safety and well-being of not only our child, but our entire family. We look forward to your response.
Please look at the data and consider extending through this highest activity ever seen.
Below COVID and FLU Activity Reports.
From Virginia Department of Health COVID 19 Summary:
CommentID: 206464
Virtual Visits should be reconsidered not only do we take a risk on picking up or either spreading COVID but, we now also face the chances or picking up or spreading the FLU. Take into consideration that over 75% or more of the recipients in this program have some sort of Disability or Medical Condition which puts them at a higher risk of becoming sick. As a Service Facilitator we often visit multiple Clients throughout the day, which puts the Client and us as a Service Facilitator at higher risk of spreading any germs. Virtual Visits conducted via Duo, FaceTime, Zoom, etc. allow for us to still see the Client physically and visually keep up and monitor their case, this also allows us to prevent the spread of any sickness and keeps everyone safe!
Virtual visits are essential to protecting people like my daughter. While visits are required for DMAS, they aren't the only ones requiring visits. Multiple people visit with us every month and with those vistitors comes the germs and illnesses of every other family they have had to visit before us. I limit contact with others as much as possible to protect my daughter, but the state is willing to put her at risk and for what?
Visits can easily be accomplished virtually. They are able to see my daughter and talk with me all while keeping her safe. As a mother, I would be happier knowing I am doing all I can to keep her safe. As a state, you should care about your citizens - all of them, even the ones who cannot advocate for themselves.
With DMAS wanting to return to in-person visits, they may need to change their mission statement as well. Currently they say their mission is “To improve the health and well- being of Virginians through access to high-quality health care coverage.”
If DMAS and the state want to improve the health of Virginians, they would keep visits virtual. My family member has been able to avoid sickness the past two years thanks to limited in-person contact with unnecessary individuals. To revert back to in-person visits now, with not only COVID, but many other illnesses (RSV, Flu, etc.) wide spread, would just be foolish and uninformed.
DMAS - remember you mission statement. The health of the individuals effected is important, especially when many won't have a say in the matter.
People with disabilities, their parents, caregivers and guardians should be given the choice to continue virtual visits with their services facilitators and case managers. With the numbers rising for covid/rsv/flu and other viruses, virtual visits would allow people who are medically fragile, their families and the facilitators/case managers the ability to meet the requirements for visits/check ins and not spread germs and illnesses. Since we have been doing virtual visits, our facilitator/case manager sees and talks (via facetime) with my son and myself and I feel our meetings have been more productive and better for not only us but for the facilitators/case managers. Please keep virtual visits!!
Virtual visits have been a very valuable way for me to limit my disabled son's interactions with other people who may be sick. WIth so many illnesses going around right now, I would love to be able to keep virtual visits as an option.
Please leave virtual visits in place. Service facilitators will be going from house to house which could potentially spread COVID around through the most vunerable.
The Virtual visits have been working. Given the frequencies of the visits, virtual should still remain an option.
Hello, I'm writing to ask DMAS to continue virtual visits for those with waivers. Our child is medically fragile and exposing him to more people unnecessarily is a great concern for us. We have had great monthly Facetime calls with our support coordinator and I can't imagine how a face-to-face meeting would change anything other than exposing our child and the support coordinator to things like the flu and Covid. If the visits can't be entirely virtual, how about a combination of home and virtual visits? Thank you for reading and considering.
The virtual visits work. They also allow for flexibility in scheduling, do not interrupt the household schedule and allow you to meet the needs of your other children and their extracurricular activities. Having someone intrude into your home to check on a child who no one needed to check on the first 17 years of her life because we had resources that negated her receiving services she truly needed. But now because she is adult, someone has to physically come see that I am taking good care of her, it’s a farce and a waste of time and resources that would be better used actually paying for more service hours for these individuals.
I want to express my concern about having the Service Facilitator in the house on a regular basis. I, the father, have CLL and am immunocompromised
The Facilitator will be out visiting a number of other houses in addition to their regular community activities with the potential for acquiring infections, not just Covid. The Facilitator appears to be schedule constrained to conduct the virtual visit on a monthly basis, so I am concerned that the visit would not be rescheduled if the Facilitator was a bit under the weather. The in-person check also puts the Facilitator at risk. The RACSB representative also checks on our son, so there is a built in backstop to the system. Currently our son’s aide has minimal contact with my wife and I so we feel there is a buffer.
Ignoring the health risk to the family and the Facilitator, it would seem that agencies would have learned from the pandemic that it is okay to conduct business in different ways. If the need is to chat with the client and caregiver for a few minutes, it would seem that could be done virtually. If there are warning signs, schedule an in-person visit. From our view the virtual connection works. Virtual visits would let each Facilitator interview significantly more folks in a day and they wouldn’t have to be driving around. Scheduling virtual visits would also be a lot easier to accomplish without having to worry about geographic locations.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Please allow the option for virtual visits!!! We need to be able to keep our loved ones safe and be allowed to limit contact if we choose (especially the type of visits where the multiple families end up exposed of someone is sick
Thank you,
Jennifer
I am appalled to learn that, despite the ongoing public health emergency, the Department of Medical Assistance Services has decided to uncouple service facilitator visits from other PHE flexibilities. Requiring in-home visits to resume in January, at the height of respiratory virus season, puts vulnerable children like mine at increased risk. I understand the desire to ensure the wellbeing of Medicaid recipients, but this decision does exactly the opposite. Service facilitators will be going from home to home, visiting medically fragile children and adults, potentially becoming super-spreaders of influenza, RSV, and COVID.
Our medical system is already at the breaking point after years of being overtaxed during the pandemic - pediatric ICUs are filling up across the country and it’s still early in winter illness season. Medically fragile kids are precisely the ones who will need intensive intervention and hospitalization if they become ill, and there’s no telling what the strain on the system will look like by January. Home has been one of the only guaranteed safe places for the past few years, and I truly fear for the lives of vulnerable disabled Virginians if they are forced into unnecessarily exposing themselves to potentially infectious visitors.
The fact that this decision was made without consulting adults who receive Medicaid attendant care services, or the parents and caregivers of disabled children, is especially galling. We have done everything in our power for the last two and a half years to keep our families safe, and this sudden decision feels like a kick in the gut. If you truly want to keep medically vulnerable children and adults safe, you simply must instruct DMAS to reverse course and wait until the public health emergency has ended, or winter illness season has subsided, whichever comes later. Our kids lives are quite literally in your hands - please help us help to keep them safe.
Why waste peoples time and money when virtual face time are available. Its no different except germs are not being spread.
Virtual visits have worked through out the PHE and need to be continued for the safety of individuals with disabilities. All meetings can be held virtually with the individual involved in order for any concerns to be addressed. By allowing virtual visits to continue we are keeping our most vulnerable individuals safe.
I am the mother of a little girl who has an incurable heart condition, plus an autoimmune disease. Keeping the option of virtual visits is the only way to ensure my daughter is not exposed to unnecessary, deadly viruses (even the common cold causes organ damage in my child), while maintaining the open and authentic relationship with our Case Management team. We love our service facilitator, and we want her to also remain safe and effective in her role. In addition, the overall cost of travel, the time that is used less efficiently, and the huge impact on the state budget that in-person visits bring is completely avoidable, by embracing the advanced technology available. Keep virtual visits as an option for families!
As a respite care provider for a family with a child who has multiple high-risk conditions, I cannot fathom eliminating virtual visits. It's cost effective, time efficient, and risk reducing.
Not only does it save the state money, but it could deeply impact the financial stability of families. Interrupting work days for simple, in-person check-ins can have negative impacts on these parents/guardians within their own workplaces. These families have enough stress with balancing schedules, appointments, and quality time. By adding back so many in-person visits where virus spreading is highly likely, it only puts them in the E.R. more often and continues the cycle of negative physical/financial impact. Not only for these families, but also the socio-economic struggles for the state healthcare system as a whole.
Why chose to eliminate a proven method for the sake of appearances? Let's continue evolving to new and better heights in healthcare!
I have been doing virtual visits for 2 years now as a facilitator. I have a select few that have chosen in person visits for various reasons; however, I see more of the home in a virtual visit than I do in person because they don't want us in their homes! If we all want to stay safe for in person visits, we will meet outside or right by the door. I can see more virtually as they travel through their homes looking for the client I need to see. Please, let's be smart about this and stay virtual at least through the Flu season. Not only are we working with a vulnerable population, the hospitals are inundated with RSV and Flu and let's not forget - Covid isn't gone! I have had numerous families that have had the Flu, RSV or Covid recently. It's much easier to re-schedule a virtual visit than an in person visit; especially if everyone in the house ends up sick. It's possible that we wouldn't even be able to see a client if an illness travels throughout the home and we run out of days in the month to do the visit. What does that accomplish? Wouldn't it be better to see the families virtually than not at all?
My daughter has an immune disease, many of her friends in the disability community also have compromised immune systems. Inviting somebody into our home can be dangerous given the nature of the caseworkers job is to be inside others homes. Leave the option for virtual for those that make it a practice of keeping visitors out of their home to keep their family healthy.
Please consider keeping virtual visits for families and their service facilitators. Many of us have family members who are easily susceptible to illness and having the option to do our monthly visit with services facilitators virtually makes a huge difference. Please keep our family member safe.
The pandemic is not over rates of infection are up in my County and are only going to get worse as we enter cold and flu season.
if these visits are required we need at least to be provided personal protection (masks eta)
Please keep virtual visits as an option. Covid is still
around, RSV and Flu is high. Virtual visits are fine. Many doctors, therapists and businesses still offer virtual as an option.
The pandemic isn’t over, especially for medically fragile Virginians. Coupled with an already rough cold/flu season, we put our population at risk by requiring in-person Medicaid visits. Protect Virginians, both those covered by Medicaid and the personnel who serve them, by extending virtual visits.
Thank you.
I have several autoimmune diseases and only go out to doctors. I do not need a person who sees other people bringing in a germ and making me sick which could be life threatening to me. A cold to you could me pneumonia to me or worse and then there is flu, covid and so forth. Thank you!
My child was on homebound schooling because he was not medically stable enough. In 2017, he returned to in-person schooling. By 2019, in ONE CALENDAR YEAR he had ELEVEN hospitalizations. Since March 2020, he has had a total of TWO. The substantial reduction in hospitalizations is because he's not exposed to common illnesses. It is unequivocal virtual visits work for both families and service facilitators. My son has multiple chronic medical complexities. He is immune compromised and has severe pulmonary, neurological, endocrine, and GI disorders. It is unconscionable to take away the option of virtual visits. Families such as mine have gone to great lengths to keep our children safe. I work from home and homeschool my children. If my son catches the common cold, that could be life threatening. The structure of a service facilitator is to visit as many families as possible, as they are paid per visit. I am beyond uncomfortable having someone outside of our household come into our house, especially when their job description is meeting with a spectrum of families who may not adhere to the same safety standards as we do.
Considering there is legitimate risk, the ADA should apply here.
Reasonable Accommodations should be granted: 1- Service facilitators wear a mask (not cloth) 2- Washes hands with soap and water (no Purell) 3- Takes shoes off or places disposable booties over shoes (we don't wear shoes inside) 4- Ask if they are currently or recently been sick (if yes, they need to reschedule)
Service facilitators are coming into my home. My home is not a public space.
The timing of the proposed return to required face to face visits for these medically complex individuals is extremely poor. It's very clear that COVID, flu, and RSV are ravaging our community presently. A rush to face to face visits is reckless and unnecessary as many individuals have benefitted from virtual visits, keeping safe and healthy and at home rather than in expensive hospitals, sick and in danger. Face to face visits remain an option presently, and there are other methods available to see individuals who are vulnerable if needed. Please reconsider rolling out this incredibly poorly timed requirement. Thank you.
My son has several health conditions in which his immune system is very low. I do not even allow my family to come over if they have been around anyone sick or is currently sick. With in person visits the facilitator would have to visit multiple homes in a day time not only risk of exposure to them as well as my son. Covid, monkey pox, Rsv, viral viruses and a host of other are still very prevalent and can be a detriment to our love ones.
Please reconsider making in home visits mandatory. My son has severe autism is he gets sick he wont age medication orally he would need to go to the hospital and from previous experience with this I too have to stay with him. I get him inoculated religiously but as we all know this is by no means a 100% effective!
Thank you for your consideration