10 weeks ago before the MCO started in Malaysian, Angsana Home, having anticipated the need for a public heath strategy similar to the one employed in Wuhan, started to review our existing infection control policy.
We have also stepped up, trained and updated our staff to enforce the following policies, as well as adapting The Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine COVID Guidance-Aged- Care -Facility recommendations. This is what we recommend all nursing homes and old folks homes to do or have done during the height of this virus:
Cleaning regime for common touch areas twice a day
Signage to remind resident and staff as well as visitors our new policies
Discouraged visitors since the MCO, setting up online chats
All essential visitors/ workers to register details for contact tracing and risk assess with questionnaires and checking temperature
Our resident and staff have their observations done daily as usual, (temperature check twice a day).
In strengthening their immunity we encourage:
Vitamin C supplements
Regular fresh air, exercises and walks to our garden
We have always had a 2 vegetable/ fruit : 1 protein policy in our diet.
Our staff have stayed on site mainly.
Hand hygiene and masks are implemented and staff are educated and practice reinforced.
Any unnecessary doctor’s appointments were postponed and reviews done by our in-house doctor.
Routine medication collection done by post.
We took no new admissions at this time.
Now that new cases have decreased, and we have managed to flattened the curve of this pandemic, the government is gradually releasing the economy back to a new normal. Although this is great, we still need to keep some precautions to stop it going up again.
Care homes and foreign workers are being screened routinely by the government. So far there has been 26 Covid cases picked up in care homes in Malaysia. We understand that there is a need to balance the psychosocial health of our residents as well as protecting them from infection. Visits by family are now on a limited scale, and a barrier screen together with masks, checking temperature and risk assessment declaration form are all instituted.
Each admission from hospital are screened and risk assessed by our doctor, with the government now also having a policy to have hospital discharges tested before admitting to a care home or old folks home.