Yes, we are providing hospice care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to provide in-person visits that follow strict protection protocols, and we also offer telehealth visits.

• Doing careful screening of all patients, household members, and staff prior to in-person visits
• During in-person visits, requiring that all household members in the room wear a face mask covering their mouth and nose
• Ensuring proper use of personal protection equipment when appropriate
• Utilizing telehealth services for routine visits when possible

Yes, we utilize telehealth services for routine visits when possible. Telehealth helps us provide safe, expert care when needed, or if the patient or family prefers. 

Yes, hospice care is available for patients at facilities, with certain precautions and requirements. Each facility follows their own set of procedures, and our staff confers with facility staff to determine the safest way to provide hospice care within the facility’s procedures.

Yes, Casey House is open, and we continue to care for patients and their families. To ensure the safety of our patients, their families, and our staff at Casey House, we maintain Visiting Guidelines for Casey House, and we follow strict protection protocols specific to our in-patient facility.

PRE-VISIT SCREENING:

Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice staff will conduct a screening call before making an in-person visit. The following screening questions will be asked prior to providing care:

• In the past 14 days, have you or anyone in your home/facility had close contact with anyone diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19?
• Have you or anyone in your home/facility been to a large gathering where masks were not in use or social distancing was not possible?
• Do you or anyone in your home/facility have any signs or symptoms associated with COVID-19 including: sore throat, cough, fever, or shortness of breath? Fatigue? Muscle or body aches? Headaches? New loss of smell or taste? Congestion/Runny Nose? Nausea/Vomiting, Diarrhea?

VISIT PROTOCOLS:

While our staff is in the patient’s room for their visit, we request that presence in the patient’s room is kept to a minimum, with safety precautions established. This includes:

• Maintaining a distance of 6 feet from staff
• Wearing a mask or some type of cloth covering over your nose and mouth

In light of concerns regarding COVID-19, we are following the updated recommendations from the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the health and safety of our patients and the community.

Upon arrival to Casey House:

If you answer YES to any of these questions, or your temperature is higher than 100.0 0F, you will not be allowed to visit Casey House.

Those who meet the criteria for the updated visitor policy will be given a visitor’s badge. All visitors must wear their VISITOR BADGE at all times, as this will indicate to our staff that you have permission to be in the facility.

At this time, we are taking the following steps:

• Requiring that all visitors wear a mask at all times.
• Restricting Casey House access to IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY (as defined by the patient).
• 2 visitors at a time per patient, maximum of 4 visitors per day.
• Requiring that no children under the age of 16 visit at this time.
• Actively screening individuals entering the building, and restricting entry to those with respiratory symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19.
• Requiring all individuals entering the building to sanitize their hands at entry, and frequently throughout their stay.
• Requesting that visitors use the patient’s restroom.
• Requesting that all visitors remain in the room of the patient they are visiting.
• All common areas at Casey House are closed.
• Maintain social distances of 6 feet from staff and other visitors.
• Visiting hours daily, from 8 am – 8 pm.

As a healthcare provider and member of the community, Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice holds the safety and trust of the patients we serve, their families, and our staff as our highest priority.

In light of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus in Maryland, we remain committed to following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal, State, and local Health Departments to ensure we are taking comprehensive and appropriate actions when needed.

At present, our clinical and administrative staff follow a strict protection protocol that includes:

• Constant communication with CDC and Department of Health departments and strict adherence of recommendations
• Continuing our steady practice of handwashing for 20 seconds
• Screening of patients and visitors for acute respiratory illness
• Screening of patients and visitors with prior travel in critical countries
• Ensuring proper use of personal protection equipment when appropriate
• Requiring sick employees to stay home
• Additional communications reminding our staff and contracted services to share BIG SMILES and not handshakes, fist bumps, or hugs

This protocol will also include:

• Additional cleaning and sanitizing of handrails, door handles, surfaces and common areas
• Offering flexible time so employees who are unwell can continue to work from home
• Offering opportunities for employees to stay home if a member of their family is sick
• Consider other methods of communication and meeting to avoid close contact
• Limiting unnecessary visits to patients from team members
• Asking patients to limit their outside visitors
• Making sure that patients have the necessary amounts of medicine and supplies
• Making sure that patients receive the least amount of deliveries from providers

At Piccard Office and Casey House:

• Proper screening and recording of names and contact details of visitors for at least one month. This is for the purpose of helping public health authorities trace people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 if somebody becomes ill shortly after their visit.

The Center for Learning and Outreach:

• All the face-to-face programs will be provided online until further notice.
• In collaboration with our community partners, we will postpone, change venue, or cancel educational programs, participation in health fairs and outreach events if needed. We will keep monitoring latest developments to reassess bi-weekly.
• Continue communication about events and programs with participants and speakers
• If programs are kept at the request of a partner, we will ensure that our staff is aware of their prevention plan and strictly follow the best practices implemented at the facility.

While we continue to care for our patients and their families, this is what you can do to prevent getting sick:

1. Wash your hands frequently for about 20 seconds with soap and water. Although there is a shortage of alcohol base hand sanitizers in store, please remember that SOAP and WATER is still THE BEST DEFENSE to the virus.
2. Cough or sneeze on your elbow or tissue, not your hands (dispose of the tissue afterwards and wash your hands)
3. Do not touch your mouth, nose or eyes.
4. Avoid crowded places
5. Stay home if you are sick
6. If you have symptoms like fever, cough or shortness of breath, seek medical attention but call first.
7. Stay informed of the latest information
8. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily

CDC has published a website with the latest information. You can visit at:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html

• Check your regular prescription drugs to make sure you have an ade­quate supply; refill your prescriptions if needed
• Have an adequate supply of non-prescriptive drugs and other health supplies, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines
• Have enough household items, groceries, and water on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home
• Consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, so­cial or commercial networks if you are forced to stay home for longer than your supplies allow
• Stay in touch with others by phone or email; you may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, community health workers, etc. if you become sick
• Determine who can provide you with care if your caregiver gets sick

Use commercial cleaning products to wipe high-touch points often, includ­ing:

• Canes, walker grips, wheelchair arms, push handles, and brake handles
• Handrails and commode chair handrails, faucets, doorknobs, and refrigerator handles
• Reacher/grabber handles and pill boxes
• Telephones, remotes, and light switches

• Know what medications your older loved one is taking, and contact them to ask if they need refills or an extended supply of medication
• Check in with any older friends or family members regularly by email or phone to see if they need assistance (food, water or other supplies)
• If a loved one is living in a care facility, monitor the situation — ask the facility about its protocol if there is an outbreak, and about the health of other residents.

Many state and local health department websites maintain updates on case counts and statistics in their communities. Additionally, there is a tracker through Johns Hopkins University. Here are three related to the communities we serve:

• Maryland
• Montgomery County
• Prince George’s County

• Stay home, and limit the areas in which you move within your home. Creating a quarantine bubble separate from other members of your household will be helpful to limit the spread of the virus.
• Use separate items and facilities, and clean those areas often.
• Continue to take the preventative measures listed above. More detailed instructions are available here (via CDC).

• Stay home and quarantine for 14 days after your last contact with the person who has COVID-19
• Look out for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and more. Symptoms may not start immediately or within the first few days – continue to monitor for the 2 weeks after contact.
• Limit your exposure to others, including those who live with you, and especially people more vulnerable to symptom complication.