A number of services for the elderly in the community are set to resume as from Monday.

After consulting the Public Health authorities, a number of active aging and community care services will be offered as from Monday 1 June, a statement by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Active Aging and Community Care read.

However, instructions assuring the health of the elderly as well as the workers must be followed.

The services that will restart include the home help service, physiotherapy, podology service, occupational therapy, Comm Care, home respite, social work services, services offered by the Dementia Intervention Team, handy man services and services offered from the elderly service centre.

A number of services that won’t yet be reintroduced due to Covid-19 are Active Aging Centre services, Silver-T and night shelters.

All community services that will provide a service inside the homes of the elderly must put in place a number of prevention measures.

Before a visit

Professionals must call the elderly person and confirm that there is no exposure to Covid-19, and confirm that there are no family members who are under quarantine. If there is, the visit will be postponed.

The professionals must confirm that the elderly person has a mask or visor at their disposal.

The elderly person will be asked to prepare all the essential items for the visit or service to take place.

The elderly person is asked to open doors and windows to ensure there is adequate ventilation, preferably 30 minutes before the visit.

It must also be assured that only people who live at the home be present.

The professionals must also prepare their PPE, like masks, gloves, visors, alcohol rub etc, according to the exigencies of the service.

It must be ensured that there are ways that the professionals can wash their hands before and after entering the home by using alcohol rub.

Prevention measures by professionals during the visit 

The people offering the service must wear a visor, mask, and anything else according to the exigencies of the service before entering the elderly person’s home. They must be worn at all times while providing the service inside the home.

The service providers must wash their hands frequently, before entering and while exiting.

Contact with surfaces must be limited, and personal items should not be placed on them.

The professionals must also avoid contact with the elderly person’s face.

A two-metre distance must be kept from the elderly person and whoever is profiding the service.

In addition, not more than one person will be allowed in a single room.

The visits should be kept as short as possible.

The professionals must then place their PPEs in a bag before leaving the elderly person’s home, and dispose of the items as they are meant to.

If the person offering the service feels unwell, or feels some symptoms, that person cannot go into an elderly person’s home or report to work. If symptoms persist, then the supervisor must be informed for a swab test to be undertaken.

Prevention measures by the elderly people during a visit

Elderly people inside their homes must wear a mask or visor while a service is being provided. Physical contact must also be limited.

Preferably, the elderly person should be in another room other than where the person providing the service is (depending on the exigencies of the service).

The elderly person must inform the professional if feeling unwell or if they have any symptoms.

Prevention measures by professionals after a visit

Professionals and service providers must disinfect the equiment used during the visit by using antiseptic wipes, including their mobile phones, laptops and anything else.

The surfaces where equipment was used during the visit must also be disinfected. The professionals must also wash their hands with alcohol rub.

At the end of the day, the person who provided the service must wash any clothes that might have been exposed to the virus, and must also wash themselves.

Prevention measures from Elderly Service Centres 

A maximum of two clients can enter at once. In addition, a 2m distance must be kept between a client and an official while waiting to be helped. 

Clients must weat a mask or visor, and must wash their hands with antiseptic rub before entering and have their temperature taken.

Clients must keep their distance by staying behind the tape on the floor.

If a client does not observe the regulations they can be refused entry.

Officials must wear a visor. Hand sanitizers at the entrance and in every room where an official works will be available.