Here you will find COVID-19 Advisory Notices for LIFEDesigns. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us here.
Click here for information & resources regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
An Open Letter to the LIFEDesigns Community About COVID-19 Precautions – 3/31/21
March 2021 COVID-19 Update
We are finally seeing support from the State of Indiana for individuals with IDD to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Nationally individuals with IDD have had a higher incidence of serious COVID-related illness than others and vaccinating this population has been a priority of all of use working in the field.
To stop the pandemic we need to use ALL the tools available to us. In addition to the protective measures we have in place, vaccination is an important tool that works with your immune system to fight the virus if an individual is exposed to it. Because of the important of vaccination, LIFEDesigns held a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Stone Belt for residential clients living in congregate settings on March 5. Forty clients received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine and will be receiving their second dose at the end of this month.
Last week Indiana State Department of Health authorized vaccination of all individuals with IDD aged 16 and over. FSSA has sent a notice to providers indicating that Case Managers should be contacting individuals and/or guardians to see if the vaccine is desired and, if so, inform them of the procedure to schedule an appointment.
There remains much misinformation about the vaccine and what it means to be vaccinated . It is important that we all understand what is known about the vaccine at this time while recognizing that over time we will gain additional knowledge. Some of the facts everyone should know include:
- None of the COVID-19 vaccines contains the live virus that causes COVID-19 so a
COV ID-1 9_ vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19 _ All of them teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
- It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after That means it’s possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection .
- The vaccine is designed to prevent a person from becoming seriously ill & prevent deaths associated with Covid -19.
- A person who has been vaccinated can still become ill with a mild or moderate case of COVID-19.
- A person who has been vaccinated might still become an asymptomatic carrier of the virus and infect others (especially those who have not been vaccinated)
- Not all our clients have been or will be vaccinated which leaves them vulnerable to contracting the virus from an outside Although many people with COVID-19 have only a mild illness, others may have serious illness resulting in long-term health issues or even die. There is no way to know how the Covid -19 virus will affect each person.
- The length of time of immunity from the vaccine is currently unknown, and it is anticipated that boosters are likely in theThere are several variants of the virus, and the vaccine may or may not provide adequate protection from the variants. The manufacturers are already working on a booster for currently known
Vaccination does not make the virus go away or mean we no longer need to be careful. We all must remain cautious and continue the good habits that have been developed over the past year. We have already seen increases in COVID-19 following large gatherings in different parts of the country, and many are traveling for Spring Break this week and next. It is only through your care and practice of hand hygiene and proper use of PPE supplied by LIFEDesigns that our clients and coworkers remain healthy. Please remember:
- Hand Hygiene (washing vigorously for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, then rinsing vigorously and/or using hand sanitizer) remains an extremely important It not only decreases the spread of COVID, but also the flu and the common cold.
- LIFEDesigns continues to require all staff to wear masks while on duty unless you are alone in a private
- In all settings, staff are required to wear eye protection (safety glasses, goggles, or face shield) whenever you are within 6 feet of a client. In group homes this most typically means wearing eye protection while on
- We continue to require any staff member experiencing any symptom that may be related to COVID-19 to contact the Director of Nursing, Renee Clevenger, at the onset of Contact Renee if you experience ANY of the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Nasal congestion/runny nose
- Sore throat
- Muscle pain or body aches not due to injury or known overuse
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Unexplained tiredness or lethargy
- Loss of sense of smell
- Fever of 100 or higher
2020 CDC Recommendations
November 2020 – COVID-19 Holiday Gathering Recommendations