Hospice and Palliative Care of Kodiak COVID-19 Tier Guide
This Tier Guide will help define what services HPCK volunteers can provide directly and indirectly at this time, until further notice. Although direct contact is permitted under certain tiers/categories, please know it is at the discretion of you and the client/client’s family member(s). If you and/or your client/client’s family member(s) are uncomfortable with direct care visits, please offer indirect support or contact the Volunteer Coordinator if direct support is requested or needed. This Tier Guide does not override other facility guidelines where clients reside (i.e.: Sunrise Assisted Living and Chiniak Bay Elder House).
TIER I - Palliative client with family support
Direct contact permitted: YES, WITH PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES (see below).
Services offered: Any direct or indirect services can be offered.
TIER II - Palliative client without family support
Direct contact permitted: YES, WITH PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES (see below).
Services offered: Any direct or indirect services can be offered.
TIER III - Hospice client with family support
Direct contact permitted: YES, WITH PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES (see below).
Services offered: Any direct or indirect services can be offered.
TIER IV - Hospice client without family support
Direct contact permitted: YES, WITH PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES (see below).
Services offered: Any direct or indirect services can be offered.
TIER V - 11th Hour client; with or without family support
Direct contact permitted: YES, WITH PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES (see below).
Services offered: Any direct or indirect services can be offered.
New intake / referral:
New intakes will be scheduled by the Volunteer Coordinator via phone call to client and/or family member contact.
Volunteer Coordinator will do pre-screening of COVID-19 questions with client and/or family member contact.
References/definitions:
Direct services offered: Any direct services can be provided as long as the personal guidelines of each volunteer and client/client family members are being discussed and met.
Indirect services offered: Any indirect services can be provided. These include but are not limited to: phone calls, virtual meetings, essential items dropped off at front door, mailing letters, cooking meals and dropping them off at front door, etc.
Precautionary measures:
HPCK staff and Direct Care volunteers who are going inside a client’s home will get COVID-19 tested, monthly.
HPCK staff and Direct Care volunteers who travel off island are required to receive a COVID-19 test immediately upon return to Kodiak.
Prior to going into a home, volunteer(s) will accept responsibility for self-answering all screening questions. If a volunteer has answered “yes” to any of the questions, the volunteer must contact HPCK’s Volunteer Coordinator and advise her that they are unable to offer direct support visits. If this is the case, HPCK advises volunteers to contact their primary care provider for further instruction.
Volunteers are encouraged to ask current clients to answer all screening questions prior to a visit. If a client has answered “yes” to the screening questions, the volunteer will need to contact HPCK’s Volunteer Coordinator with that information and the client will be advised to call their primary care provider for further instruction.
When entering/exiting a home, volunteers and HPCK staff will wash hands in accordance with CDC guidelines. (CDC guidelines: Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds).
When in a client’s home, volunteers and HPCK staff will touch as few items as possible.
When in a client’s home, volunteers and HPCK staff should cough/sneeze into their upper third of their arms and wash hands immediately.
When in a client’s home, volunteers and HPCK staff shall follow all universal masking procedures when unable to stay more than 6 feet apart.
HPCK volunteers will advise the Volunteer Coordinator if they need a mask and/or gloves for home visits.
Volunteers have the right to review a copy of all paperwork collected for in the intake process for their client(s), including a confirmation that COVID-19 screening questions have been answered prior to any direct visit being scheduled.