ATTENTION: NC SENIOR LIVING ASSOCIATION COVID-19 UPDATE 3/20/20
Below are recent developments regarding COVID-19. Providers are encouraged to check the
NCDHHS COVID-19 webpag
e
for the latest updates regarding the virus and the state's response.
- Child care - Yesterday, NCDHHS issued the below notice regarding child care options for essential workers, which includes adult care home staff. The notice also contained two child care fliers, one in English and one in Spanish, that adult care home providers and others can print and make available to staff that may need assistance with child care services as a result of measures to address COVID-19.
Dear Partners,
We know many of our state’s first responders and essential workers are worried about ensuring their children have safe care while they bravely support our community, providing critical services during this unprecedented crisis.
Under the direction of Gov. Roy Cooper, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the NC Department of Public Instruction are working with our network of partners across the state to provide child care options to children of essential workers, which includes first responders, hospital staff, front-line healthcare providers, nursing and
adult group home staff
, child care program staff, food service staff and others working to keep our communities safe and healthy as we respond to COVID-19— as well as care for children who are homeless or in unstable or unsafe living arrangements—who do not have access to other care arrangements at this time.
We encourage families who have flexible working arrangements to use that flexibility to stay at home with their children. Parents and families with urgent child care needs may call 1-888-600-1685 to find high-quality, safe child care for infants through children age 12.
We encourage you to share the hotline number and the attached handout with workers who may need care.
Thank you for supporting our state and its families by providing vital care and services,
Tracy Zimmerman
Senior Director of External Affairs
- Medication aide testing - NCSLA has heard from a number of providers this week that medication aide testing has been cancelled for some individuals previously scheduled to take the test as required by 10A NCAC 13F .0403. According to DHSR, they are limiting the number of individuals at each test site to 10 people (1 DHSR staff to administer the tests and 9 individuals taking the test) and are having to cancel the tests for some in order to achieve the limit. Rule 10A NCAC 13F .0404 allows individuals up to 90 days to take the test but when asked, DHSR informed NCSLA this morning that they would not cite providers if employees go over the 90 day limit due to the COVID-19 situation and are working on options to possibly provide more additional testing opportunities. NCSLA will provide more information regarding this issue as it becomes available.
- Communal dining - NCSLA has heard from providers across the state this week that local health departments are visiting adult care homes and requesting that residents not go to dining rooms (communal dining) and instead be served meals in their rooms. Although there is no explicit mandate to discontinue communal dining at this time, providers should consider staggering meal times to allow for social distancing (recommended 6 feet) in order to minimize the potential of COVID-19 virus spreading.
- Medicaid Bulletins and Telehealth - As mentioned in previous communications, there have been a number of Medicaid Bulletins related to COVID-19 in the past week.
- The latest COVID-19 #18 Bulletin suspends the face-to-face visit currently done by Public Consulting Group for new providers and also fingerprinting requirements.
- Medicaid also approved a number of Telehealth billing codes and rates this week that will allow physicians, physician assistants, behavioral health and other providers to evaluate and assess patients by electronic means as opposed to face-to-face visits. Adult care and family care homes are encouraged to work with their primary care and other providers to determine if this is an option for evaluating adult care and family care home residents in order to decrease the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
- Number of COVID-19 cases - According the the NCDHHS COVID-19 website,cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in our state and are now found in 28 counties (counties listed below are east to west and more than 2 cases are denoted in red):
- Brunswick - 2 cases
- New Hanover - 1 case
- Onslow - 1 case
- Craven - 2 cases
- Pitt - 1 case
- Pasquotank - 1 case
- Sampson - 1 case
- Wilson - 2 cases
- Wayne - 1 case
- Johnston - 2 case
- Harnett - 6 cases
- Hoke - 1 case
- Moore - 2 cases
- Chatham - 3 case
- Durham - 33 cases
- Wake - 23 cases
- Orange - 4 cases
- Guilford - 4 cases
- Forsyth - 7 cases
- Davidson - 1 case
- Rowan - 1 case
- Union - 2 cases
- Cabarrus - 2 cases
- Mecklenburg - 28 cases
- Iredell - 2 cases
- Gaston - 1 case
- Lincoln - 1 case
- Watauga - 2 cases
- The NCDHHS, the CDC and others continue to provide excellent materials and timely guidance related to COVID-19. In addition, the NC Division of Public Health (DPH) and NC Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) will be holding weekly forums for health care facilities, home-based providers and others on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Forums will begin next Tuesday, 3/24/20 and will continue until they are no longer needed. Forums will be recorded and available to the public.
- During the forums, Subject Matter Experts from DPH will provide a quick update on any new developments and will then respond to questions received before or during the forum.
- Send any questions you would like for DPH Subject Matter Experts to be prepared to answer during the forum to questionsCOVID19forum@gmail.com - questions must be received no later than 5:00 on the Sunday prior to the call (3/22 this week).
- The forums will be structured to allow either webinar access through your computer OR traditional audio dial-in. PLEASE NOTE - Questions during the forum can only be submitted using the Q&A function using the webinar access through your computer.
- Click the following link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/988453520
- (NOTE: Use the Q&A function to submit questions during the live webinar. For audio-only access (mobile)
Dial +1-646-558-8656, ID: 988 453 520#
For audio-only access (office telephone)
Dial (646) 558-8656
Webinar ID: 988 453 520
Reducing resident exposure to individuals who are potentially infected with COVID-19 is of paramount importance since our residents are among the highest risk group for infection and mortality from this virus. Thank you and your staff for all you are doing to provide care to our residents during this difficult time in what we all hope will be a temporary event.
If you have questions concerning any aspect of this document, please do not hesitate to contact me at
jeff@ncseniorliving.org
or 919-787-2526.
Jeff Horton, Executive Director
