As many in-home care providers continue to implement strong safety precautions for their employees and patients, another step has now been taken by the state of California and the county of Los Angeles in the fight against Coronavirus.
On August 5, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order mandating that all health care workers in California were required to be vaccinated against Coronavirus by September 30, 2021. Los Angeles County issued a similar order on Aug 12, 2021. The mandates directly affect the home care, home health, and hospice industries.
Who Does The Order Apply To?
According to CDC.gov, this new order “applies to any individual who works in indoor settings where (1) care is provided to patients, or (2) patients have access for any purpose. This includes workers serving in health care or other health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or SARS-CoV-2 airborne aerosols.”
What Facilities Are Affected by The Order?
The following health care facilities fall under the parameters of the order by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH):
- General Acute Care Hospitals
- Skilled Nursing Facilities (including Subacute Facilities)
- Intermediate Care Facilities
- Acute Psychiatric Hospitals
- Adult Day Health Care Centers
- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and PACE Centers
- Ambulatory Surgery Centers
- Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospitals
- Clinics & Doctor Offices (including behavioral health, surgical)
- Congregate Living Health Facilities
- Dialysis Centers
- Hospice Facilities
- Pediatric Day Health and Respite Care Facilities
- Residential Substance Use Treatment and Mental Health Treatment Facilities
For those not fully vaccinated by the given date, the California Covid19 website states “they are required to get tested for COVID-19 regularly and wear masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.”
Los Angeles County Home Care Vaccination Requirements
Just days after the California state order, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health took similar steps and issued the Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement Order, expanding the state order to now include in-home care and home health care environments.
LA County added the following facilities for the California State order:
- Emergency Medical Services Provider Agencies
- Home Care Settings (Home Care Organization, Home Health Agency)
- Dental offices are included under Clinics & Doctor Offices
Luxe Homecare Aligns with CDC Guidance
When a home care worker comes into your loved one’s home, we hope it might help ease some stress during these taxing times to know that California is the first in the nation to require vaccines for all health care professionals, with Los Angeles County extending that mandate to in-home care.
The award-winning team at Luxe Homecare remains aligned with CDC recommendations and in compliance with Los Angeles County and California health mandates to continue putting the safety of our senior communities, clients, and staff at the top of our priorities.
To protect all those involved in caring for your loved ones, we’ve continued the ongoing training of our staff during their interaction with our senior community. We continue to adapt alongside the recommendations of top medical authorities and organizations including:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- California Department of Public Health
- World Health Organization
- OSHA
- The Joint Commission
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
The entire team at Luxe remains committed to the strongest and safest road forward for our community of seniors and our staff.
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