BRYAN, TX — Nurses and caregivers are working in the front lines as they continue to protect senior citizens of the Brazos Valley.
“When a crisis like this happens you almost feel like you aren’t enough,” explains Claudia Massive, Director of Patient Care for Visiting Angels.
Massie has been a caregiver in the Brazos Valley for five years and she knows the struggles some seniors are facing day to day.
"The service that we provide really prevents them from going into the hospital, that's number one," she said.
Once the coronavirus crept into the Brazos Valley caregivers, like Claudia, were worried that senior citizens would begin to feel isolated as efforts were made to limit exposure to the highly susceptible.
"My sadness came from the fact that caregiver services don’t just provide hands on care, they provide psycho-social support," explains Massie. "They are there to give emotional support and there is a relationship with health care workers and their patient.”
As an essential business, caregivers are allowed to continue providing services for their patients at home and to those in long term care facilities while taking extra precautions than the ones set by the C.D.C
"We have our own 'Fit for Duty' on our phones and before we clock-in and go to a clients home we have to make sure that we check off on if we are feeling any symptoms if we are experiencing any temperature and things of that nature.”
Nursing homes in the Brazos Valley such as Lampstand Nursing and Rehabilitation have taken extra precautions themselves.
In a statement sent to 25 News by Creative Solutions in Healthcar, Lampstand is providing health and respiratory screening for all residents twice a day, no longer allowing group rehab; all rehab services are one on one, and communication between residents and visitors are being facilitated using video as no visitors are allowed to name a few.
"We have been able to be compliant with facilities and work with them to make sure we are abiding by their guidelines," says Massie. "They are just being cautious and making sure everyone is coming in and out of the same door, not coming in and out of various entrances, and that we are following as much as we can that are put forth by the C.D.C. and the WHO.”
Once shelter in place is lifted in the Brazos Valley, long term care facilities will continue to have precautions set in place to assure the safety of patients and caregivers.