Update: How to make your own masks out of a T-shirt:

Please read the disclaimer under http://www.alpinehomecare.biz/alpine-homecare-blog/how-to-make-your-own-masks-instruction-video-by-alpine carefully before watching the videos!

UPDATED!
Hours after the Tri-County Health Department issued a stay-at-home order for Adams, Arapaho & Douglas ​county, Governor Jared Polis issued a statewide stay-at-home order for Colorado, effective 6 am Thursday 03/26/20 and lasting at least until 04/11/20. The Tri-County order lasts until 04/17/2020, BUT HAS IN THE MEANTIME BEEN RESCINDED.

This means that Alpine Adult Day Care's base site will have to remain closed to clients until at least 04/11/2020. However, our food delivery, welfare calls and online services (facebook group) are expected to continue until the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

​Critical workplaces are exempt from the statewide mandate and include:

-  Health care operations.
-  Critical infrastructure, including utilities, fuel supply and transmission, public
   water, telecommunications, transportation, hotels, and food supply chain.
-  Critical manufacturing, including food, beverages, chemicals, medical
   equipment, pharmaceuticals, sanitary products and agriculture.
-  Critical retail, including grocery stores, liquor stores, farms, gas stations,
   restaurants and bars for takeout, marijuana dispensaries but only for medical
   or curbside delivery, hardware stores.
-  Critical services, including trash and recycling, mail, shipping, laundromats,
   child care, building cleaning and maintenance, auto supply and repair,
   warehouses/distribution, funeral services, and animal shelters.
-  News media.
-  Financial institutions.
-  Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations. 
-  Construction.
-  Defense.
-  Public safety services like police and fire.
-  Vendors that provide critical services to the workplaces above.

What about Masks???
Should I wear one or should my client wear one when I am providing personal care? What about homemaking? What about when I’m out running errands (shopping/laundry)?

Here’s what the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) states about masks:
​
People who are not sick do not need face masks to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. 

People who are ill should wear a mask, if available, to protect family members or whenever and where ever a mask is needed to prevent the spread of germs. However, the CDPHE also states:
Although most individuals who contract COVID-19 do not become seriously ill, persons with mild symptoms and asymptomatic COVID-19 illness may place other vulnerable members of the public at significant risk.

​In an ideal world we would all have access to masks and would be wearing them all the time (just in case) to protect from the people who may be infected but not showing symptoms. However, we currently live in a situation where even hospitals who treat infected patients are starting to run out of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

-  We have no access to buying ANY masks. They are currently not available
   anywhere and that is not likely to change in the near future.
-  Staying home is the safest way to avoid getting sick, and continuing to
   receive in-home care gives you the best chance  of staying healthy.

But, if you are stuck in a situation where you think you need a mask or you would prefer to use a mask just in case when providing services, here are a few tips on home-made masks:

​Firstly and foremost, these masks are not very effective. In the best case scenario, where it fits really well and many layers of fabric can be used, you might get about half the effectiveness of the least effective masks, the disposable “surgical” masks. That’s very little. But if you believe that you are in a situation where any protection is better than none at all, then you might consider using a home-made mask.

​Second, handle it properly. Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before applying a mask to your face as it will always require touching your face to adjust the mask for the best possible fit.  Once it’s on, leave it in place and if you need to adjust it, start again with washing your hands before adjusting the mask. Then, wash your hands again after adjusting or removing the mask, because it may actually have germs on it either from you because you have been breathing into it, or from someone who was close to you and breathed in your face.

Third, work hard to get a good fit!! Even if you find the best possible material in the world for preventing transmission, if your mask does not fit snugly against your skin all the way around your mouth and nose, it will not work very well to protect you or others around you.

Fourth, the best policy is to stay away from work and other household members if you feel like symptoms are developing, and that includes clients. If you come into your client’s home and suspect that the client is sick, the first thing to do is to step out of the client’s home, call the Alpine office and follow instructions from there.

A last note of information – obviously, these home-made masks need to be handled with clean hands and also need to be changed and washed frequently. We recommend washing them after each use in hot water, using bleach if available and or boiling them in water for 10 minutes after washing to disinfect.

Please read above notice before watching the video!

1) How to make a mask from a T-Shirt:

D E A R   P A R T I C I P A N T S  &  C A R E G I V E R S :

We recognize the inconvenience of quarantine, which is why we've
gotten creative and opened an online engagement platform just for
you! Alpine Adult Day Care is excited to announce the creation of a
new Facebook Group designed to keep you connected and engaged
with your peers and our staff during this difficult time. New content
will be posted regularly including live events. Check in daily to see
what's new. We look forward to seeing you there!

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/2678238609070943/
?REF=GROUP_HEADER

In case of technical difficulties call us at 303 755 8002

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Alpine has started its food delivery services in order to support our clients in their homes as Colorado works through this difficult Coronavirus period. Clients receive a full lunch meal and a breakfast meal for the next day, delivered to their doors on days when they would normally be attending day care. 

AADC's Food deliveries have started!

​Unlike many other day cares, who have just closed their doors, Alpine decided to  retained all its staff and remain open in order to provide an alternative set of services, including food delivery and online live meetings via facebook groups, where AADC participants can interact with one another from the safety of their homes.

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While we continue to have no suspected or confirmed cases of Coronavirus, COVID-19 has undeniably spread into many communities in Colorado. In order to protect our clients, many of whom are potentially especially vulnerable to the virus, and our staff, we have decided to close Alpine Adult Day Care on 3/16/2020, while we re-assess the situation. Barring any further unforeseen circumstances we expect to reopen with a limited / altered set of services on 3/17/2020, which are designed to help our clients over this difficult period of time. Such services will be closely coordinated with our clients and might include limited day care services at our facility, food delivery to a client's home, limited services in alternate settings, such as home or community. We will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation surrounding the Coronavirus and try to return to full and regular day care services as soon as it is safe for our vulnerable population (and staff). 

Dear Alpine Adult Day Care Clients and Staff!

In light to the world-wide Coronavirus outbreak, Alpine would like reassure you that we are committed to 1) Keeping you, our clients and our staff safe and 2) Providing you with uninterrupted service in the safety and comfort of our day care facility. Here is what Alpine is doing and what you can do to keep yourselves safe:

What has Alpine been doing to protect our clients and staff?
When the Coronavirus began to spread to the US and Colorado, Alpine introduced an enhanced health monitoring protocol: As a client, before you are picked up or enter the facility, you can expect your driver when they call you before pick up, or our CNA staff, when they greet you upon arrival, to ask you the following questions:
 
Do you have any symptoms of fever (feeling cold, shivering, and achy)? Are you coughing or have a sore/painful throat? Are you sneezing or have a runny/stuffy nose? Are you having shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing?  
If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, you will be asked to stay home / not enter the facility. If you develop any of these symptoms while you are at the AADC center, we will arrange for you to be returned home as quickly as possible. In the interim, you will be asked to isolate yourself from other participants and wear a mask.

Moreover, in addition to Alpine's usual thorough, daily cleaning to keep your environment safe, we have further enhanced our approach to cleanliness by emphasizing the increased cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, such as door and faucet handles. Moreover, you will observe more frequent requests from staff to wash or sanitize your hands.

Alpine will continue to closely monitor any new recommendations from the CDC and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and we will keep updated on important information regarding your health and safety. For more information on what you can do to protect yourself and your family, please visit the CDPHE and CDC websites. As always, you cancall us at 303-755-8002 if you have any questions or concerns. 

Finally, here are a few tips that can prevent disease transmission, based on CDC recommendations:

1) Wash your hands! Wash them diligently and frequently. Use soap or hand sanitizer.
2) Do not touch your face, eyes, mouth! Do not pick your nose!
3) Say Good-bye handshake, hello elbow bump!
4) If you are healthy, you do not need a face mask! They are for sick people.
5) Sanitize objects that you and a lot of other people touch.
6) Avoid large group gatherings where possible. Try to keep 6 feet apart when in groups. 
​7) If you are sick, stay at home! And self-isolate. No excuses.
8) Have enough household items/groceries/medicine on hand so you can stay home for 2 weeks.

Enjoying a game of pong ball at AADC...

Spring is coming at AADC! We have lots of trips this month, including to the Railroad Museum, Chatfield Farms, the Capitol Building, the Casino, the Hammond Candy Factory, ldaho Springs and to the movies and Bowling. Our indoor activities include, arts & crafts, games & puzzles, other therapeutic recreational activities and bingo. We also got Thai Chi on Wednesdays and Music Therapy on Mondays. Don't miss our Birthday Party with live music and great food! Happy St.Patrick's Day!

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