Thank-you! I work in a geriatric setting full time (assisted living/ memory care), and I am approaching 60, and have a couple of the more minor ailments that might complicate matters if I got ill. I can't afford this virus and I sure as hell don't want to be a conduit to bringing it into my workplace. They really need their food, and I am one of the few cooks employed there. I go to the store both for my needs and those of my residents ( supply chain problems with the large purveyors) , and I get nervous when so many are mask-less. I know people pick up boxes, put them down, handle the cans, put them down, and I work hard to sanitize what I bring in and follow all precaution, but I am only human and I will make mistakes as will every other employee who works in a nursing home, hospital and group home for the disabled or geriatric setting. Your mask will make those errors less dangerous for me, my family and those old people. Think about those nurses and caregivers who need to go out for practical reasons. Insofar as the same people we talk about as covid 'heroes' on television, are not always healthy 25 year olds, keeping them healthy and virus free as long as possible is vital to keeping these geriatric settings and hospitals staffed with experienced people. This is not the time to try to train brand new caregivers from scratch. If the caregiver or nurse or housekeeper, or cook is an older worker ,overweight, a smoker, or has asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and they go out sick, it won't be for 14 days! You have got one more very large hole in the work schedule and you may see a lot more of the same in the next 3 to 6 weeks both among colleagues and residents. Your mask helps us keep staff the health care, group home, hospital and geriatric settings despite the danger
You're most welcome. I am living in a community that has no cases but I'm wearing a mask when I go out to show respect for those folks who have to interact with the public. It isn't comfortable in the heat, but its the least I can do. Thanks for doing what you're doing. My mom's in a LTC facility and I'm grateful for folks like you who are working so hard to keep her healthy while we can't! Please accept my virtual hug!
As a nurse I wear a mask whenever I am outside my home. Yesterday I visited an extended care facility to see a patient. None of the staff were wearing masks or gloves unless they were doing personal care. I asked why and was told that the owners did not want patient relatives to see the staff wearing masks and assuming there was a problem in the home. Sometimes you can't fix stupid.
Speechless! We have been using disposable plates, utensils etc for two months, which I thought was standard to ensure that the virus does not enter the dietary department. I called another facility, and they decided it was not needed past a couple of weeks and now use plates, silverware, goblets and coffee cups! And get this. They have a cookie tray and Coffee pot sitting in the main dining room!
I am sure that Ericb760, will agree with me. We have both been trained in how proper practices of infection control. We both are diligent and try hard to do the right things with our hands, and our faces and our gloves and our masks all the time, every time. but if you took footage of how we did our jobs and showed it to a group of infectious disease experts, we would not go 15 minutes without breaching a best practice protocol in some way or another. We would not be aware we did. Its just too hard to be perfect constantly, and concentrate on the actual person you are serving simultaneously. That is why telling old and immune compromised people to stay out of harm's way is so feeble. You have to help us keep the virus away from us, so we can help and protect them.
My mother has been secluded in her room for two months now. The only people she sees are the ones bringing up her meals. There haven't been any visitors allowed at all. And, there have been no cases there. So they're doing something right! Thank you too, Eric, for your work.
Don’t forget to wear your goggles too , because you can get the virus thru your eyes. To be really safe, a complete US Army biohazard suit and gas mask with filter will keep out all known contagions including nerve agent and some other really horrible agents created by the old USSR that Bernie Sanders admired.
This just shows how completely ignorant you are of the necessity for PPE during this crisis. I don't wear a mask and gloves because I fear you are contagious. I wear them because I fear that I am.
I’m all in favor of some kind of standard conservative beach attire enforcement that covers the appropriate areas enough to prevent nausea, disgust, and dogs barking reactively
You sounded like you had the ":heart of an angel" that is....until you called others stupid. Now I get it. You think you have moral purity over others.
Just so you know, in my building it is the kitchen staff that are delivering those meals to people just like your mother. Our kitchen crew are opening up the coffee creamers, stirring in the sugar, moving the nightgown from table, setting the serving table, putting the food in the microwave buttering the bread, cutting up the meat, helping put on the napkin. Our building is also co vid free. The kitchen servers will not be 'heroes' until we get our first case, but from that day forward, these servers will meet my definition of heroes, and they get 12.00 an hour, to put themselves in harm's way as the virus makes its way through the building. My physical contact with residents is limited to serving occasionally in the Dining Room, but once one of these servers tests positive... There is no such thing as 'social distancing' at 6 feet apart in a professional kitchen Our Administrator was asking which kitchen staff and the caregivers would prefer to leave than serve once the virus arrives, so she could hire replacements. Its happened in 'sister communities' the company owns and a distressing number panic and 'ghost'. So far as I know not one has even hinted they will quit.
Just born and brainwashed 'Sheeple', that's us folk working with the elderly and infirm. We live and breathe to read another chapter in Mao's 'Little Red Book'
I am 43 years old and have asthma. My dad is 82, my mom is 78 and has Parkinson's. My girlfriend has a compromised immune system due to her Chrone's medication and her dad has heart disease. So NOT wearing a mask is pretty much not an option. I also live in NYC, so yeah I wear a mask to protect myself, my family and my society. Its called being a Patriot. Protecting yourself AND your community.
I live in a small town in Oregon. The town has 9 deaths and 109 cases. It was our veterans home that got early and tragically here. I personally do not know anyone yet. Its got to be frustrating for 'essential businesses' who are putting up those 6 feet signs, the plexiglass 'shields', sanitizing work areas and common areas, and using masks and gloves when some of their customers could care less if they do their part..
I just walk softly, and carry a big stick, recognizing that we have nothing to fear but fear itself and that to sacrifice liberty for a promise of security would make me undeserving of having either one. Also, I reject being stamped, indexed, filed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. add to the list: brain chipped, vaccinated, social distanced, shadow banned, masked, gloved, scanned, tracked, or TSA groped. I am a free man, not a number. My life is my own.