As part of the overall effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and in line with public health advice, day service locations have been closed since March. However priority service users have been identified in each CHO, and individualised supports continue to be provided to many people in alternative models particularly for these individuals with higher support needs, through alternative means such as via online support and/or regular telephone contact with families. Health and social care responses to the current public health emergency are under continuing review, including specific measures such as these to support vulnerable people.
The resumption of adult day services is currently being considered by my Department and the HSE as part of broader planning to prepare for the resumption of non-COVID-19 community and social care services in the current environment, and in line with public health guidance. My Department and the HSE has established a Joint Working Group to develop a plan for Community Capacity.
The HSE is finalising plans to re-establish vital non-COVID supports and services. This includes very careful and detailed work on the part of the disability sector with national guidance and will result in directing how all funded agencies can deliver services on a medium to long-term basis. A national group for the resumption of day services representative of service users and families, service providers and the HSE is working together to prepare for the resumption of day service supports in line with COVID-19 guidance. The Framework for the Resumption of Adult Disability Day Services and Action Plan for resumption of services have been completed. The national group are currently developing guidance to support the day service sector to reopen within the parameters of public health advice.
Community Healthcare Organisations are working with service providers to ascertain the current level of service provision and innovative practises that have developed over the last number of months. The collation and analysis of this data will provide a current national picture which will enable the resumption group to address the challenges of reopening day service locations.
The resumption group have completed the above strands of work, which will inform the timeline for the phased re-opening of day services. It is expected that a the HSE will issue guidance in the coming days on the resumption of services. In the meantime, service providers continue to contact day service users regarding their support needs and are providing those supports in different ways. Some supports continue to be provided in a number of ways, for example by telephone, online communication and responses to address emergency needs.
The HSE and disability service providers, where identified, will continue to communicate with school leavers and their families to plan and organise for a transition to day services in line with public health guidance.
The safety of service users and staff is of critical importance therefore the attendance at locations will be determined by public health guidance, which may result in some reduction of capacity.
An information leaflet for service users and their families was developed by the national group and distributed widely to all stakeholders on June 9th.
The Framework for Resumption of Adult Disability Day Services and the information leaflet “What’s Happening” is available on the New Directions website: www.hse.ie/newdirections
With regard to respite services, the HSE have issued a number of guidelines which should be considered by service providers. Respite house locations should be evaluated retrospectively to ascertain the current need for isolation units, and should be reinstated with the caveat that in the event that a suspected or confirmed case presents that the location reverts to an isolation unit and alternative models of service delivery are offered to respite service users. Services must ensure that they are compliant with HIQA regulations and guidance on Governance and Service Management.
Social distancing guidelines should be implemented and a review of capacity per location should be ascertained. Infection Prevention and Control guidelines must be implemented, as per residential support facilities, to include the use of masks by staff in the event that social distancing cannot be achieved. Temperature checks should be undertaken for service-users and staff.
Transport of individuals should be done in a co-ordinated manner which may include a rotation system in order to satisfy Public Health guidelines.
A risk assessment of the individual should be undertaken prior to admission to respite services, as follows:
An individual who is going into respite should complete a self-declaration form that they have not had a temperature or been in close contact with a person who was known to be COVID-19 positive for the previous 14 days; and, their temperature should be taken prior to admission. If the individual has a temperature they should be advised to self-isolate as per Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidelines.
The individual should be monitored throughout the respite stay for signs of COVID-19, and if they begin to show signs of COVID-19 symptoms they should be isolated for 14 days.
