Like so many of you, we have spent the last several days and weeks learning about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it is impacting our world. That means understanding how it affects our employees, residents, and the surrounding community, and then making the necessary adjustments to our work and operations here at Little House.
Keeping our employees, patients and community safe is our objective that guides us. This has been at the center of our conversations in leadership regarding this health concern. With that in mind, we want to respond to the threat of the coronavirus accordingly.
We are ramping up cleaning services at Little House and have added sanitizing stations throughout the property so employees and clients can keep our environment safe.
We are closely following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) and LA County Department of Public Health guidelines and recommendations on the steps we can take to help prevent the spread of the virus. We want to reiterate the importance of following all health directives and the current “Safer-at-Home” mandate for our area. Per CDC recommendations, we will require employees and patients who are ill or have been exposed to others who may have been exposed to self-quarantine for 14 days. For patients this will include separate living quarters, eating times and bathroom facilities. Consider also social distancing techniques like not shaking hands and sneezing into a tissue or the crook of your arm.
We are currently not allowing any non-essential visitors and/or contact, again to do what we can to help prevent the spread of the illness.
Public Health continues to recommend that the public do the following to protect themselves and others from respiratory illnesses:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unclean hands.
- Limit close contact, like kissing and sharing cups or utensils, with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve (not your hands).
- Face masks are most effective when used appropriately by health care workers and those directly caring for people who are sick and by people who are sick (source control).
- Get a flu immunization to prevent influenza if you have not done so this season.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH, County)
- California Department of Public Health (CDPH, State)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,National)
- World Health Organization (WHO, International)
- LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
Thank you for your cooperation and concern during this time. Remember that we truly are all in this together! Be well.
Respectfully,
Samantha Salmeron
Executive Director