Home or Self Quarantine:
For the benefit of doubt and to prevent the spread of the pandemic within the community all residents or their kith and kin who travel back to the community from any outstation trip to remain in home quarantine period for 14 days or as announced by the Government of India. In retirement communities and care centres, self-quarantine is very difficult to be monitored given that many of the residences are single rooms. It is therefore advocated to opt for Home Quarantine even if one member of the family needs to be on self-quarantine
The guidelines to be followed are:
- Notice will be placed outside on the Door stating: “Resident on Self/Home Quarantine. Visitors Not Allowed” In many cases health authorities of Government visit the premises, counsel the resident concerned and also paste a notice.
- RMs will inform to local Health authorities about any person placed on home/self-quarantine as per the format given by the Government
- Stay within your residence, preferably having the person who needs self-quarantine in a separate room with attached toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room maintain a distance of 3 feet.
- Restrict his/her/their movement within the house/apartment. Not to come out for meals etc.
- Wash hands as often thoroughly with soap and water as often and as required by Protocols
- Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home.
- The person who has travelled to wear a surgical mask at all the time. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and disposed of. Disposable masks not to be reused and disposed of correctly as per protocols.
- Masks used by patients / care givers / close contacts during home care should be disinfected using sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed by burning.
- Used mask should be considered as potentially infected and hence disposed properly.
- It is most appropriate to burn the mask in a closed pit and conceal it.
- If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), he/she should immediately inform the nearest health centre or call 011-23978046.
Instructions for the family members of persons being home quarantined
- •All the members of the family should remain indoors and not venture out of their unit.
- •Milk and Newspaper or any grocery or fruits and vegetables (if required) will be delivered to the doorstep.
- All food requirements will be home delivered in stainless steel containers.
- The home delivery person will wear all the necessary PPE’s and leave the container outside the door without interacting with any of the residents.
- The container has to be washed within the unit after consuming the food and left outside for pick up.
- All the containers as a standard practice will be immersed in hot water to disinfect it.
- Each unit will be allotted a set of containers which will be used for every delivery.
- Housekeeping services will not be extended at the units on quarantine.
- The Medical staff will not pay home visits they will call and enquire on the health of everyone. Use Video Chat
- In case of any medical emergency the same will be discussed with the resident manager and necessary action taken.
- Visitors will not be allowed under any circumstances
- Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen
- Wash hands after removing gloves. Gloves to be disposed of as explained by the RHM/Nurse
Environmental sanitation
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person’s room (e.g. bed frames, tables etc.) daily with 1%Sodium Hypochlorite Solution.
- Clean and disinfect toilet surfaces daily with regular household bleach solution/phenolic disinfectants
- Clean the clothes and other linen used by the person separately using common household detergent and dry.