Mar 20, 2020
SeniorCare Inc. recognizes the widespread concern about COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus). The situation is changing daily, but our agency remains operational, supporting seniors, people with disabilities and their caregivers, and making preparations in advance for all scenarios.
Here is what we are doing as of March 20, 2020:
- We are accepting referrals at our agency phone line 978-281-1750 (toll free 866-927-1050).
- The Massachusetts-based Elder Abuse Hotline at 800-922-2275 is still taking all calls from anyone concerned about an older adult (age 60 or older) who may be a victim of elder abuse, neglect, self-neglect or financial exploitation.
- We are working closely with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and our municipal partners to stay up-to-date on local needs and concerns.
- We have adapted protocols to keep our consumers, volunteers and staff safe.
- We are calling all home care and senior nutrition consumers to determine what they might need, and working to ensure back-up plans for care and meal delivery.
- We are making pre-screening calls prior to visiting people in their homes. In most cases, we are conducting telephonic contact in our programs instead of home visits. If a consumer does not recognize the phone number we are using and does not answer their phone, we will leave a message instructing them to contact their Care Manager or the agency directly.
- We have procedures in place for services being provided, including home-delivered meals, congregate meals, medical transportation, and services provided by our our vendor agencies.
- We are actively updating our resource database with current, town by town information for those who need assistance with food, medicine, or essential transportation. Please call 978-281-1750 (toll free 866-927-1050) for assistance.
- Our reception staff are taking messages and forwarding them to the appropriate on-site or off-site personnel.
- We are operating with limited staff in the office, with the majority of our staff working remotely, while practicing social distancing.
- We have closed our offices to all visitors in order to minimize the risk of contamination. Anyone arriving at the SeniorCare Gloucester office with a delivery, payment, or other item to drop may leave the item at our front entry.
- We are working with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to identify the Personal Protective Equipment needs for our staff and provider agencies.
- We continue to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and are adapting our policies based on these guidelines.
SeniorCare serves the nine north shore communities of Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield, and Wenham.
COVID-19 Information
At this time, information about the COVID-19 situation is changing continuously. For the most up to date information, please visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) or Massachusetts COVID-19 information pages.
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