Category: COVID-19

*New COVID-19 Travel Orders* – https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order

Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders.  The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID-19 and gradually re-open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help keep transmission levels as low as possible.

We have updated our Life-Skills, Inc. Visitor Screening Forms to reflect these changes, and will be working closely with our employees and visitors to adjust to these new requirements upon return to the state and re-entry in to our programs.

A message from Commissioner Jane F. Ryder regarding updated DDS Visitation Guidance for residential programs, and Off-Site Attestation Form:

Forms:
Updated Visitation Guidance
Off-Site Attestation Form

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our residential staff, families, and the individuals we support, DDS continues to see a decline in new positive COVID-19 cases and across the state.  Based on this data and the feedback received from families regarding our Outdoor Visitation Guidance (issued June 10, 2020), DDS has revised our Visitation Guidance. 

The revised guidance is attached and includes:

• • Extending current time limits for group home visits
  • Guidance on safe physical contact with your loved one
  • Off-site visitation including home visits, effective July 3^rd

These guidelines were developed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to ensure safe visitation.  Families choosing to take their loved one off-site must sign an attestation form to verify their understanding and compliance with health and safety guidelines that remain in effect.  All visits must be planned in advance with the provider agency.

These guidelines were developed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to ensure safe visitation.  Families choosing to take their loved one off-site must sign an attestation form to verify their understanding and compliance with health and safety guidelines that remain in effect.  All visits must be planned in advance with the provider agency.

These guidelines were developed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to ensure safe visitation.  Families choosing to take their loved one off-site must sign an attestation form to verify their understanding and compliance with health and safety guidelines that remain in effect.  All visits must be planned in advance with the provider agency.

We appreciate your commitment and cooperation as we cautiously update our guidelines.  We will always prioritize the safety of your loved ones and the staff who support them.  As such, this policy is contingent on everyone continuing to be vigilant in wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and following the safety protocols outlined in the visitation guidelines.  DDS will continue to monitor our COVID-19 data and will revise guidance as necessary.

Again, thank you for your important and valued feedback, and your cooperation as we meet the challenges of the COVID-19 virus together.

Sincerely,

Jane F. Ryder
Commissioner

 

Life-Skills, Inc has received the expanded Visitation Policy for DDS Residential Programs to allow for outdoor and off-site visitation during the COVID -19 pandemic while adhering to recommended Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) guidelines.

The guidelines are currently being reviewed, and management is being trained in the proper implementation of the expanded visitation for our individuals by their families and loved ones.

Due to the holiday and the need to properly train staff and management, we anticipate that we will be prepared to activate these guidelines by July 10, 2020.

We are using discretionary caution in our approach to safely permit expanded on and off-site visitation to ensure the safety and well-being of our individuals, as this has been our practice throughout this COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you for your patience, enjoy a safe holiday!

Life-Skills, Inc.