How home healthcare workers are handling Covid-19 pandemic

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - The COVID-19 outbreak is forcing home healthcare workers to change how they treat their patients.

We’re talking daily about doctors and nurses in hospitals and clinics but there is another group of frontline workers who have had to switch up how they provide care: Home Heath health care workers that bring care and services to patients’ doorstep.

“When this pandemic hit worldwide, there was a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty for not only our residents and patient and our nurses some of the measure that we are taking are daily screenings not only our staff but for our patients we are using the recommended CDC personal protective equipment,” said Angels Care Home Health Branch Manager Samantha Moore.

In addition to adding screenings for everyone, there are tele-visits and they’re spreading countless informational materials.

“We are increasing the amount of education we are giving them about proper hygiene, hand washing technique, coughing etiquette, anything that they can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for the community and ourselves,” said Moore.

Though things are a little different right now, these nurses say what hasn’t changed is their dedication to take care of this community that is most vulnerable.

“One of the main things that has really impacted us is not being able to have the one on one interactions with our patients and not being able to go in and just give them a hug," said Moore “And we’ve been having to come up with creative ways just to lift their spirits. We miss our patients and anything we can do to lift them up during this time where they’re being forced to stay at home. We’ll do it.”

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