An Update from Jeannette Sheehan
Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner,
ABC Home Healthcare Professionals
First, we want to THANK YOU for continuing to serve our ABC clients, who are the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Your dedication to those most in need is truly appreciated. Additional opportunities to service clients if you have the ability continues to open up due to those workers with young children home from school. Please contact the office if you can accept more hours.

While on your visits, remind your clients that we will continue to provide the services they need to remain safe at home including cleaning, shopping, and meal prep. Please check to see that they have adequate supply of cleaning materials. If they are low, please contact the office and we will inform their family.

While the State of Emergency is in affect, cell phone usage is allowed for Telephony check ins.

To ensure the safety of you and our clients, please review the questions below. If you or your client answered yes to any of the following questions, please contact the office immediately.

  • Have you had a fever (Higher than 100.3 degrees) or new respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
  • Have you traveled to a COVID-19-affected area (outside of U.S.) in the past 14 days?
  • Have you had contact with a person (live with or are within 6 ft. of for over 15 minutes) diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
  • Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 or told by a healthcare provider that you may or do have COVID-19.

Please respect these restrictions as we highly value the safety of our clients and you our staff. If you or your client answer yes to one or more of these conditions, please contact the office immediately.

These are challenging times and will likely continue to be so for weeks or even months to come. We are optimistic that the measures we have put in place will help ensure the health and safety of our patients, families, and most importantly YOU our dedicated staff.

Please remember that any questions you have can be answered with a simple phone call to ABC. As you would expect, we are monitoring the situation hour-by-hour. Our utmost concern is for the health and safety of our clients and absolutely our most important - YOU.

Thank you for being a part of our ABC Caregiving Family.

Jeannette Sheehan,
Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Coronavirus - general information
What we know about COVID-19

COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus. It is primarily transmitted by aerosolized droplets (e.g. the droplets you release when you cough or sneeze). These droplets can travel over 6 feet if you don’t cover your mouth and nose effectively. The virus can survive for some amount of time outside the human body, although the specific parameters are not yet known, so transmission can occur by touching a surface contaminated with the virus and then touching your eyes/nose/mouth.

The CDC believes at this time that symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The coronavirus may cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms such as:
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Trouble breathing and pneumonia
What precautions should I be taking?

The following precautionary actions will help prevent exposure to COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water with at least 20 seconds of scrubbing or use alcohol-based hand cleaners (if soap and water is unavailable)

  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, not your hands

  • Avoid close contact with others who are sick

  • Stay home from work if you are sick and avoid contact with others


For more information on the coronavirus, including a detailed Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) list, click here .
What should I do if I’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 or think I may have COVID-19?

First, we want you to seek medical attention. Second, and importantly, we will require you to work from home until the following conditions are met:

  • Per the CDC: Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F [37.8° C] or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants).

  • Instead we would ask that you follow your physician’s advice and protocol on when to return to work and follow the CDC steps noted above.

  • Lastly, please inform HR and your manager on your condition and provide updates as needed.
Preventing the spread of the coronavirus
Don't Touch Your Face

One of the best ways to avoid the spread of the coronavirus - yet we struggle to avoid touching our faces. Psychologist Natasha Tiwari explains why and offers tips for how you can better avoid doing it.
Healthcare Visits

Avoid visits to healthcare facilities if possible. Now is the time to postpone any elective appointments / diagnostic testing that can wait.

If you have an urgent problems, begin with a phone call to your physician/practice. Many facilities first line triage includes telemedicine, which can provide you with answers and the care you need, in the comfort of your home.

If you must go to an office, most providers have implemented additional safety precautions to reduce interactions between you and other patients.

Call your healthcare provider before your visit to learn more.
Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community.

Follow these five steps every time.

  1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
  2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
  4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
For more information on the coronavirus, including a detailed Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) list, click here .

ABC Home Healthcare Professionals | www.abchhp.com | 781-245-1880