The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. An excerpt is listed below.
Assisted Living, Group Homes and Other Residential Care Settings (excluding nursing homes)
In general, long-term care settings (excluding nursing homes) whose staff provide non-skilled personal care* similar to that provided by family members in the home (e.g., many assisted livings, group homes), should follow community prevention strategies based on COVID-19 Community Levels, similar to independent living, retirement communities or other non-healthcare congregate settings. Residents should also be counseled about strategies to protect themselves and others, including recommendations for source control if they are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease. CDC has information and resources for older adults and for people with disabilities.
Visiting or shared healthcare personnel who enter the setting to provide healthcare to one or more residents (e.g., physical therapy, wound care, intravenous injections, or catheter care provided by home health agency nurses) should follow the healthcare IPC recommendations in this guidance. In addition, if staff in a residential care setting are providing in-person services for a resident with SARS-CoV-2 infection, they should be familiar with recommended IPC practices to protect themselves and others from potential exposures including the hand hygiene, personal protective equipment and cleaning and disinfection practices outlined in this guidance.
*Non-skilled personal care consists of any non-medical care that can reasonably and safely be provided by non-licensed caregivers, such as help with daily activities like bathing and dressing; it may also include the kind of health-related care that most people do themselves, like taking oral medications. In some cases where care is received at home or a residential setting, care can also include help with household duties such as cooking and laundry.
