Are there permanent changes coming from COVID rule changes to home care? Yes, there will be many rules that will evolve with the pandemic showing us where we are behind the curve and where medicine may need to make changes. At this time everything is written as interim guidance as the government has not said forever, but as we see many things that are working and making life safer for some of the most vulnerable, the state and the federal government will follow what is better for the health and safety of the public. 

I have animals and am not sure about the transmission from humans to animals and animals to a human? There is transmission, as we know from CDC guidance, but we at B's can not lay it out very clear so here is the website that you should read. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html

I have a client that may be Covid positive, what do I do? You are required to contact the office and let us know the information on why they were tested and when. We also need to know if the signs are Covid or if the doctor is testing just to make sure. We will then give further guidance on what to do.

If I have been working for my client and they tell me that they don't want me to work for a period of time because they don't need staff. Is there something I can do? Yes, you will report this to our office. At that time, we will work with you on where you can be transferred to and we will contact that client's county of record to report the refusal of services. This allows for the county and/or state to take proper notice and to possibly stop the services of that client as the client is saying they don't need the services. This will be looked at on a case by case bases to allow for every case to be reviewed and the proper steps to be taken.

Why do people say homemade masks do nothing? The masks that are provided to you are called source protection. The virus is set as a droplet precaution, so these masks stop your droplets from leaving you to go on to or into another person. 

What did Trump mean by injecting disinfectant? DO NOT INJECT OR INGEST ANY DISINFECTANT, There is medical procedure that can be done to "disinfect" your blood, but it is NOT an over the counter product and is only used in a hospital for very specific procedures. 

How do I get masks? If you are having staff in and out, we would like your staff to wear them whenever they are within 6 feet of the client. Masks are available at all offices. Please call ahead and a manager will set a time for you to come pick up.

What do I do if I have Covid-19? If you are a staff, the family of either staff or client, or a client, you must let the office know of any testing and the results as soon as possible.

When is it safe to be out with others? This will change as the CDC and the state officials check the data and give us their best safest estimates. Remember no one has a magical ball!!!

Will we be told if there is something changing in our community? Every Tuesday I will announce everything I know about changes in communities that I get reports on. RUMORS are not facts so please email office@bhomecareinc.com with questions before saying anything to someone else. Per the county call yesterday, they ask we please verify facts because staff has said things that are not facts...

When can my client return to their original living space? Many clients have been moved due to this virus. Please respect that we ask all people to remain in the safe spaces we have worked with them to be in. This feels like a lifetime but remembers that what we do today will affect us tomorrow. Moving anyone too fast back to other living arrangements is not a safe plan as of today, 4/17/2020, but once we get better guidance on when it will be safe we will tackle it head-on.

How do I get more hours? So I stated that if a client has needs that cannot be met with the time they receive right now, please let us know. This means they need care more than they did before due to being ill, loss of programs and/or loss of a non-paid caregiver. THIS IS NOT FOR KIDDOS THAT NEED HELP WITH DISTANCE LEARNING! That will always be a parent's responsibility per state guidelines.

Can the PCA do distance learning? NO, PCA's are not supposed to be doing distance learning or homework. We at B's believe in PCA's helping where they can but it is state-mandated that schoolwork is not allowed other than for the PCA to help monitor behaviors. FOLLOW THE CARE PLAN! 

Where can I see information on the virus for our state only?   https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html

Is there a place that gives more information than just our state?                         https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

When am I eligible for paid sick leave to self-quarantine? You are eligible for paid sick leave if a health care provider directs or advises you to stay home or otherwise quarantine yourself because the health care provider believes that you may have COVID-19 or are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, and quarantining yourself based upon that advice prevents you from working and they are willing to provide written direction.

I am an employee. I become ill with COVID-19 symptoms, decide to quarantine myself for two weeks, and then return to work. I do not seek medical diagnosis or the advice of a health care provider. Can I get paid for those two weeks under the FFCRA? Generally no. If you become ill with COVID-19 symptoms, you may take paid sick leave under the FFCRA only to seek medical diagnosis or if a health care provider otherwise advises you to self-quarantine. If you test positive for the virus associated with COVID-19 or are advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine, you may continue to take paid sick leave. You may not take paid sick leave under the FFCRA if you unilaterally decide to self-quarantine for an illness without medical advice, even if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Note that you may not take paid sick leave under the FFCRA if you become ill with an illness not related to COVID-19. 

If I don't want to work because I am scared, can I get unemployment? B's Homecare is essential and at this time everyone is a health care worker under that guidance. We will be denying requests for leave and denying unemployment unless there is a very specific concern and then we will review the information to make an informed decision. If you submit your paperwork we will follow CDC, MDH, Labor enforcement, and OSHA regs to make these decisions.

*Disclaimer* Information given in this FAQ section is a compilation of information gathered from multiple official sources that we have access to*