March 12, 2020
Dear Life Unlimited Family and Friends,
Our leadership team has been meeting for the last few weeks to make contingency plans for the COVID-19 virus. As you know, our organization provides supports for many individuals with complicated medical conditions that put them at high-risk for developing complications with the virus. Our first priority is keeping the individuals we support and our staff healthy and safe. We are making some important decisions to help limit the risk to the people we support. If we wait until someone in our services or a staff person has COVID-19 to make decisions, then we have waited too long. Due to the fact that we have individuals with chronic medical conditions, we are following some of the recommended nursing home precautions.
Presently, we have no known cases within our organization.
COMMUNITY LIVING / RESIDENTIAL
Starting today, each Life Unlimited location will be stocked with extra hand-washing supplies, and each person who enters a Life Unlimited property or supported home must wash their hands upon entrance. Videos are being sent to all staff detailing proper hand-washing techniques.
We are asking that non-staff persons only visit the homes we support when medically necessary. We will be working with our staff to use FaceTime and other computer programs for virtual visits with family and friends to ensure we are keeping relationships active. The best way to keep the virus from spreading is social distancing. This means we need as few people entering our locations as possible. We will not be going to large events and will be staying at home as much as possible. Life Unlimited-supported homes that have an individual with high medical needs will not be going out unless medically necessary.
We have purchased extra supplies and foods to ensure that our homes do not run out of any needed products. We will be continually purchasing all needed supplies and foods and having them delivered to our homes as needed.
MY DAY – FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN LIFE UNLIMITED-SUPPORTED HOMES
Starting Monday, March 16, My Day programs will be closed through April 12, and potentially longer. We will be keeping in contact with you and let you know when we will reopen. In the homes that are supported by Life Unlimited, we will be having My Day activities and special activities in the homes during My Day hours. My Day staff will be helping in our homes while My Day is closed. Staff will be working on creative activities to make these days at home fun and engaging.
MY DAY – FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN FAMILY HOMES
We know this will be a huge inconvenience for many, but our first priority is keeping everyone safe and healthy. We have developed a list of My Day staff who could potentially provide services to individuals from My Day in their family homes during the time we are closed when there is not another option for care. We will not be able to guarantee having staff available on an ongoing basis as circumstances around the virus change. Our My Day staff will contact each family to figure out how we can best help. We are asking our families to start working on alternate plans of care for our closure. For information about My Day services at home contact Julie Turley at
jturley@luinc.org.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPTIONS
We will continue to provide our community support services for the time being unless a person and/or their guardian decides they should not have our staff visit their homes. If you would like us to stop these services for a period of time or have any questions, please contact Amy Young at
ayoung@luinc.org for details about this program.
EMPLOYMENT
At this time we will continue employment services as needed. This could change as employers close and/or more of our community is staying home. Contact Amy Taylor at
ataylor@luinc.org with questions about this service.
RECREATION
We are canceling our recreation events for the remaining month of March. Our recreation staff will be helping provide services in other programs. Please watch our website and send us your email to get updates, so you will know when events resume. Contact Jim Huffman with questions with questions about recreation at
jhuffman@luinc.org.
TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT IN KANSAS
Our case managers will be continuing to work with families to ensure they are getting the supports they need, especially as some providers may cancel some services. Our case managers will be making some visits by phone or conference call and will visit in person when needed. Contact for TCM in Kansas at
swinfield@luinc.org.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call directly at (901) 326-0920 or email me at
jedlund@luinc.org.
Thank you for your support and understanding during this time!
Julie Edlund
Chief Executive Officer, Life Unlimited
