Asking a home heath worker to mask indoors?

QueSeraSera

Is it too much to ask? We’re  just at the point of finding some in-home help. 

Mom is 79 and was diagnosed  2 years ago. Along with Alzheimer’s, she is also nearly blind due to loss of peripheral vision and very frail due to rheumatoid arthritis and COPD. She’s lost a lot of weight over the past 5+ (nearly half her body weight, she weighs just 80 lbs now). She on immunosuppressive meds for her RA too. And although she has had 3 doses of Moderna, I worry it wasn’t effective on her  because of her medications and she never had any reaction at all to the vaccines. 

My kids (19 & 23), my husband and I are extremely cautious, still wearing masks in public and avoiding risky situations so that we can spend time with her, unmasked. She still lives alone, just 5 minutes from me. 

We recently tried a caregiver through an agency who agreed to stay masked indoors. We asked her to make sure mom got her meds, and prep one light meal along with a cooked dinner. We also asked for help with laundry and light chores. The agency sent out someone and after 2 weeks my mom mentioned that the caretaker never wore a mask. She promised to wear it after that and my daughter stopped by later that same day to drop something off and the caretaker was unmasked again. I talked to the agency and they say they would have a hard time getting someone to agree to be masked, but they will try and it may take some time. 

Am I asking too much? Would I have more luck trying with a private hire through care.com or similar?

harshedbuzz

QSS-

You might have the best luck finding someone through word of mouth. 

I have a friend and SIL who are dealing with similar. They each have a household member for whom any kind of infection would be devastating and a need to have medical and support people in the house. Friend pestered her agency until she found an RN who followed safety protocol to the letter. SIL had trouble finding a HHA to service her great-grandson's IFSP who would remain masked, so she went without for much of the pandemic. 

Is your mom wearing a mask? Because an N-95 would help keep her safe.

HB

Mint

Que you are not asking too much in my opinion. My neighbor has a health care agency and guessing they require masks as all the girls are wearing a mask even when they take her for a walk each day.  

You may inquire with your physician about Evusheld also.  Is a combination of monoclonals  with EUA status, given every six months to help prevent Covid in those immune compromised . 

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dayn2nite2

You can ask for anything you want - it's your right and it's her home.  Whether there will be a multitude of people who will comply is another matter. 

For those who have been working straight through the pandemic, even before a vaccine, and with even many federal and state agencies no longer requiring masking, you will have a much smaller pool of people to choose from.

I'd have my mother put a N95 on during hours with an outside caregiver and call it a day to have the best opportunity to get staffing for her.

sunnydove

You have EVERY right to require someone  you are paying to be in your home to wear a mask. I had this issue in 2020. I only found out about it because I had a camera installed. It was mostly to make sure Mom was safe at night (at the time I was traveling for work and Mom was still alone overnight). It wasn't even a hidden camera, but the caregiver (who was a retired RN so even more maddening) wore a mask upon arrival and whenever I'd Skype Mom but let it hang from one ear the rest of the time. I called the agency and they said she refused to wear a mask (and oh was she pissed I was watching!) I insisted on a caregiver who was taking the pandemic seriously. 

I'd ask for/find someone who understands that's the rule. I'd also get a camera (I have a Wyze Pan Cam that was only $35) and let them know you like to check in on things throughout the day. Not outwardly saying hey I'm watching, but if they know you could see them at any time, they are more likely to obey the rules consistently. 

Good luck! Good, caring luck is hard to find. 

windyshores

Masks do not address vapors or fumes. The ability to smell things through the mask has nothing to do with effectiveness against viruses.

It would be hard to monitor mask-wearing by an aide.  The elderly person would have to be able to ask them to keep it on and/or report to you.

My mother was exposed to COVID by a hospice aide (and so was I). I requested aides who were vaccinated, after that, then boosted.

Jo C.

Victoria, if you can detect scents through your mask, it indicates that it is not fit properly; here is a link:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-wear-n95s-properly-5216988#:~:text=Smell%2FOdor%20Test&text=In%20the%20test%2C%20a%20substance,mask%20is%20not%20perfectly%20fit. 

As for asking a home health worker to wear a mask, that is absolutely reasonable considering the risk circumstances.   It is truly disheartening to hear of the lack of ethics and lack of conscience by healthcare workers who do not comply when they feel no one is watching.  There are indeed good people who do not conduct themselves in such a manner, but like everything else - it seems it is up to us to monitor to ensure it is being complied with.   Sounds like a camera may be the only way one can be absolutely certain that masking is being consistently done.

A big sore point or me:  One of the things that bothers me so much are those egregious, unconscionable people who are so evil that they intentionally cause tremendously increased risk to others who would be at very high risk for severe illness or death if they contracted the virus.

1.  A NP in a large city had her own practice.  She and a staff member did not believe in COVID mandates.  She therefore falsified COVID cards for thousands of people who were not vaccinated, and worse; being a NP, she had the authority to enter vaccinated person's names into the state data base - she entered the names of those who were unvaccinated who paid her for fake cards thereby contaminating the data base which has the potential for significant negative outcomes. Also falsified those persons medical records.  When investigated, it was found she had made millions over the time she had been making out fake cards.  Evidently her husband was also part of the big money making operation.

2. My friend is an RN. She has an adult daughter who has always felt "entitled;" it has been rather narcissistic in some of the very entitled dynamics over the years.  This daughter has a Master's Degree and works in education . . . her best female friend is a law enforcement officer on a large police department.  Neither of these women believe COVID is a true risk and refuse vaccinations as well as not masking. 

The two women wanted to go to an extremely large concert venue being held in another state.  That venue was going to screen each person entering the concert for proof of COVID vaccination with a card; that was a huge undertaking so the venue would be safer.  So . . . these two women got the supplies and made very good fake COVID cards not only for themselves, they also sold them to others.   There they were, going through busy airports and flying each direction.  They met with others and mingled unmasked; then they went to the concert which on TV showed those who attended were packed together by the thousands, shoulder to shoulder.  Now IF either of these malfeasant idiots were positive for COVID - just look at the points of exposure not only for the out of state concert, but also at their work places which by the way had vaccination mandates.  Why such sad excuses for human beings decide they can risk lives and quality of lives for others, I cannot fathom.  But that is it . . . they do NOT consider anyone or anything else except for their own selfish selves. 

So, what this reinforces is that we are islands unto ourselves, we must protect our own selves and our LOs as best as can be and if that means a camera or two if the risk is very high, then that seems to be one solution option.

J.