Skip to content

Kells Home Health Care’s COVID-19 Updates

We are actively monitoring the progression of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We follow all of our public health’s units advice and are in contact with them regularly on updates. Community spread of COVID-19 is difficult to detect and control.

As a company that provides home health care, we understand that you, as a member of the Kells family, may be worried about what all of this means for you — and more importantly, for your loved ones.  Kells is striving to provide the same level and quality of care to our clients. This is why we recognize it’s crucial to share with you what Kells Home Health Care has been doing to ensure business continuity during these hard times.

For Our Clients:

We are fully committed to continuing to provide home healthcare services throughout this pandemic as much as possible. To do so, we have implemented the following:

  • We have created contingency plans to offer continuity of services
  • All caregivers have been provided a Coronavirus Screening Questionnaire to screen themselves and any household members
  • We are committed to providing as many essential personal protective equipment and supplies as possible to our staff and clients during this worldwide shortage, including hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks
  • We provide additional training for our caregivers on the use of PPE, infection control practices and on infectious or communicable diseases
  • Kells Home Health Care has been conducting client supervisory visits via telephone or other telehealth platforms either with the client, client’s parents/spouse/representative. We will continue to conduct these evaluations via telephone or telehealth platforms to promote social distancing when speaking to family members.
  • Clinicians wear an N95 mask, gloves and a gown if patients have signs/symptoms of COVID-19.
  • All family/caregivers in the home are asked to physical distance during a home visit. If they are directly involved with the instruction of hands-on care, they are equipped with PPE.
  • Patients are requested to wear a mask during the home visit unless they have a medical restriction and are unable to.

Kells Home Healthcare is a critical infrastructure industry and we have a special responsibility to maintain our normal work schedule. All nurses, caregivers and office staff are working together to ensure all clients and caregivers are safe, and well cared for.

For Our Employees

Now, more than ever, it’s essential to ensure everyone’s health — including that of our staff. To do so, we have established the following protocols:

  • Activated precautionary policies to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19
  • Reviewed our Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
  • Our Kells Home Healthcare Office staff will be working remotely until further notice. However, we are still available 24/7 by phone to ensure client, caregiver, and office staff safety. If you need any assistance, please call our office.
  • Fielding questions about health and the steps required following exposure, per public health recommendations
  • Taking necessary travel precautions
  • Implemented new Proper Usage of Personal Protective Equipment and COVID training presentations and modules

As part of a team of caregivers, it is imperative that we follow the established protocols listed above. This ensures we protect ourselves as well as our clients.

Additional Steps to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

We will continue providing home healthcare services to the best of our ability for the wellbeing of our clients. Here are some best practises you can implement: 

  1. Clean and disinfect surfaces touched daily.In addition to furniture and countertops, sanitize doorknobs, light switches, the refrigerator, oven, and microwave handles, faucets, toilets, sinks, remote controls, cell phones, charging cords, and steering wheels. Make sure to do so regularly.
  2. Wash your hands more often than usual.Do so thoroughly, for a minimum of 30 seconds, making sure to scrub under your fingernails and between your fingers. Do so before handling foods and medications, after sneezing or coughing, after going to the bathroom, and after returning home from being outside. If water and soap aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer with a minimum alcohol content of 60%.
  3. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.Be conscious of the fact that the virus could enter your system through your eyes, mouth, or nose. If you’ve been outside, been in contact with anyone, or have recently sneezed or coughed, and haven’t had the chance to wash your hands, do not touch your face.
  4. Avoid being exposed to the virus.This means social distancing. Avoid crowds and limit your outings to shopping trips to obtain essentials — such as food, personal hygiene products, medications, and detergent. Go only once a week, if possible. Stay at least six feet from people during your outings. Do not go to bars, movie theaters, gyms, or any place of entertainment. If you go to a restaurant, call ahead to place a takeout order.
  5. Avoid sharing personal items.Do not share personal hygiene items, towels, cups, drinking glasses, and/or eating utensils with anyone else in your household. Use face masks when caring for a loved one. Designate a single person to go in and out of your sick person’s room, and do not share face masks.
  6. Cover your coughs and sneezes.Cough into the crook of your elbows instead of your hands. Coughing into your hands is unhygienic and makes it easier for disease to spread — since you use your hands to touch surfaces that other people touch as well. If you have tissues, use them and discard them immediately. Once you’re done coughing or sneezing wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible.
  7. Stay home if you are sick. If you’re not feeling well, don’t rush to an ER. Doing so could expose hundreds of other people with an already compromised immune system. Most people who are mildly ill with COVID-19 will recover at home. Do call your doctor for instructions on what to do. If possible, isolate yourself from family members by staying in one room of your house. If you start to feel worse, call your doctor before visiting their office to provide them with ample time to protect themselves from contagion before you arrive.
  8. If you have a compromised immune system, stay home.This includes anyone over the age of 60 and people with underlying medical conditions — especially if the illness impairs your lungs, heart, or immune system. If you need groceries, order them online, if possible.