COVID-19 Update - May - Independence Center

COVID-19 Update – May

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Maintaining Our Community: COVID-19 Updates

Independence Center St. Louis is closely monitoring the status of the COVID-19 outbreak so we can share vital information with our community and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months.

It has been all hands on deck at Independence Center St. Louis since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and the stay-at-home orders. We have been converting all of our programming to remote and virtual, building new processes and procedures.

It is very cool to see staff members from different departments working together and even better that the result is better care for our members.

Exciting Updates:

217 members to be added to the Healthcare Home Program. This allows for better tracking of health and wellness goals and better coordination of care.

Members have access to a virtual Work Order Day via Zoom, a video conferencing service. We now have to utilize two different Zoom accounts to accommodate all of the meetings. Not only are our standard meetings in place, social groups that aim to support members while they stay at home have also been created.

We planted vegetables gardens at both of our Residential Care Facilities. Residents and staff will work together to keep this maintained so that they can continue to add more fresh veggies for their meals.

A password protected web page for members has been created on the Independence Center website. It is a one-stop-shop with resources, forms, schedules, updates/announcements, social event sign ups, etc. This will be utilized in combination with the Virtual Clubhouse Facebook page and Zoom account to make a more robust online offering for members while they stay safe at home.

IC Health Group has shown a significant increase in ‘show rates’ for counseling and therapy appointments, meaning that members are utilizing the psychiatric services of ICHG more regularly.

If you want to get involved, we are most in need of funding to support additional technology for our members to connect via the virtual platforms, shelf stable food items, sanitary items, and cleaning supplies. If you would like to make a donation, please contact AJ Herz at aherz@independencecenter.org

Launching a Mask Donation Campaign

We are launching a homemade mask donation campaign! We have received about 600 masks from generous donors in our community. Our goal is to collect 2,500 masks to distribute to our members in order to keep them safe and healthy.

Why wear a mask? The CDC reports that “recent studies show that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms and that even those who eventually develop symptoms can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.” This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity. We know that wearing a mask will cut down potential transmissions and will keep our members and staff safer.

We have not yet determined our reopen date, but do know that when we return to our physical work spaces, we will require all persons entering our facility to wear a mask. Help us keep our members and staff safe by making homemade masks. We recommend the deaconess, Aries, or duckbill design.

Mask no-contact drop off or pickup can be coordinated by emailing our Development Specialist, AJ Herz at aherz@independencecenter.org

How to Make CDC Approved Face Masks

If you are unable to make masks, please share with your network or make a monetary donation to Independence Center. Masks cost on average $7 during the COVID 19 pandemic. At $7.00 a mask that means that we are in need of almost $10,000 to ensure all staff and members can help keep themselves and others safe by wearing a mask.

You can donate by clicking the button below to Independence Center mask efforts.

Or you can send a check to:

Independence Center
Attn: Tom Solari & Development Team
4245 Forest Park Ave.
St. Louis, MO, 63108

Donate to Independence Center for COVID Emergency Response