Even prior to COVID-19, caregivers of elderly and disabled community members have been challenged at work. Low pay, poor or no benefits, long hours and in some cases, lack of support have plagued this industry. We applaud those organizations that have diligently toiled to support and enhance work for this group of essential workers. Here in Oregon we are fortunate to have the Oregon Home Care Commission to support homecare workers, personal support workers and consumer/employers by providing training, maintaining a registry, and defining qualifications. The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center’s COMPASS (Community of Practice and Safety Support) program, developed in partnership with SEIU, Local 503 is available through the Home Care Commission.
Caregivers in long-term care centers and in private homes are at risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection. We are hopeful that the prioritization of vaccinations for this at risk group continues and includes all caregivers, not only those working in congregate living.
Listed below are links to curated content to help employers and employees meet Oregon OSHA Emergency Temporary COVID-19 standard, and protect staff (and others) from exposure. The list of resources is not an exhaustive list and likely to be most useful for those caregivers and organizations supporting caregivers in Oregon. This blog has also been saved as a PDF that can be downloaded for those who may not have routine access to a computer, or shared via safety meetings or staff emails.
How to comply with Oregon OSHA?
From Oregon OSHA webpages: Fact sheets about the regulation and tips, Q&A about COVID-19 regulation and workplace advisories. Select tabs for publications, education, regulation and videos. Access “Hazard Poster” and “fill in the blank” documents for Risk Assessment and Infection Control Plan (both required in the regulation for health care and home care and LTC).
https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/topics/infectious-disease.aspx
- Find additional COVID-19 related updates from Oregon OSHA:
https://osha.oregon.gov/covid19/Pages/default.aspx - Request virtual Oregon OSHA consultation on COVID-19 flyer
https://osha.oregon.gov/Documents/COVID19-Consultation-flyer.pdf - Oregon OSHA model policy for Notification of Employees when COVID-19 Exposure Occurs.”
https://osha.oregon.gov/Documents/Model-COVID-19-Notification-Policy.pdf
Online training (helps meet 4 of the 10 employee training requirements found in Oregon OSHA’s COVID-19 Temporary Rule.)
https://osha.oregon.gov/edu/courses/Pages/COVID-19-training-requirements.aspx
From SAIF: Tips and Resources including easy access to many documents from Oregon OSHA, and resources addressing mental health during the pandemic.
https://www.saif.com/employer-guide/coronavirus-and-workers-compensation/keeping-workplaces-safe-and-healthy-during-the-pandemic.html
What about vaccinations?
Home page from Oregon Health Authority about COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon
https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov/
Oregon’s Phase 1a Vaccine Plan – Frequently Asked Questions (Group 1a in Oregon includes healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents)
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le2390v.pdf
COVID-19 Vaccine information from SEIU503 including updates on vaccine clinics for homecare workers.
https://seiu503.org/member_news/covid-19-vaccine-information-resources/
Oregon updates from Oregon Health Authority (OHA) about outbreaks, factsheets and other resources.
- OHA – COVID-19 Updates
https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19 - OHA Fact sheets in various languages
https://govstatus.egov.com/or-oha-covid-resources
How to find PPE and other training opportunities specific to caregiver needs
Oregon Homecare Commission: Learn how to find PPE if you are an Oregon homecare or personal service worker, about benefits during the pandemic, training opportunities and more.
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/HCC/PSW-HCW/Pages/Health-Safety.aspx
National Association for Homecare and Hospice: Coronavirus Resources for Home Care & Hospice
https://www.nahc.org/resources-services/coronavirus-resources
Information for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/index.html
COVID-19 Aerosol Generating Procedures (updated July 22, 2020)
https://www.childrensmn.org/departments/infectioncontrol/pdf/covid-19-aerosol-generating-procedures.pdf
Infection Control Guidance for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control.html
Understanding the Difference: Surgical Masks v. N95
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/UnderstandDifferenceInfographic-508.pdf
Are you looking for something that isn’t listed or in need of updating? Contact us and we’ll try to find it and add it to our resources or update the information.
Access the information above as a downloadable PDF.
