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Southern Grace Hospices Response to COVID-19
March 16, 2020
Information on our response to COVID-19
As an organization dedicated to providing compassionate care, our uncompromising priority right now at Southern Grace Hospice is protecting our patient's and employees from exposure to COVID-19. We know that our patient population is among those at risk to the effects of the illness, and we understand that our patients and families may have fears and concerns.
Here’s what we have done in preparation for COVID-19 and continue to do to prevent the spread of infection across our community.
We are strictly following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Georgia Department of Health, and local government leaders. Our clinical and administrative teams are practicing exceptional hand hygiene and have increased our disinfecting processes. We currently have the hand hygiene, disinfectant, and personal protective equipment supplies that we need.
Our employees have been provided with education on the signs and symptoms of COVID–19.
We have also extensively educated all of our employees and community partners on recommended infection control standards and proper use of personal protective equipment.
We have limited all routine visits of non-essential personnel.
Chaplain and social worker visits are being completed over the phone as permitted. We have temporarily ceased patient visits by volunteers, therapists, and all other team members that are not considered "essential". Our nurses and CNAs continue to make routine and after hours visits as permitted.
All employees must pass a daily health screen prior to reporting to work.
All Southern Grace employees are also receiving head to toe physical assessments by a medical provider at least weekly to ensure they are fit for duty and without signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
We have restricted access to our administrative office for visitors to minimize exposure to COVID-19. All supply drop offs are left outside of the building and disinfected prior to use.
All Southern Grace employees are required to wear a face mask during all patient visits.
Per CDC guidelines, exposure risk is significantly reduced if a healthcare provider is wearing a mask while performing direct patient care.
We are adhering to changing clinical protocols at long term care facilities and hospitals. We are engaged with our healthcare partners and actively participating in their initiatives to reduce the risk of infection at their locations, especially when we are caring for patients in those facilities receiving hospice care.
We are educating patients and families receiving care in their homes. During home visits, our clinical teams are sharing information with families about prevention, screening and signs and symptoms. We are advising families to screen visitors to their homes.
As information on COVID-19 evolves, we will continue to evaluate our response and work with the department of public health and CDC to provide all of our patients the highest quality of care.
The CDC has provided excellent guidance on preventative measures for older adults and at-risk populations, which Southern Grace Hospice continues to follow and share with patients and families. We recommend that everyone with questions and concerns follow the following sources for information nationally and locally for COVID-19 updates:
The Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Georgia Department of Health: https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus
Nothing is more important to us than your health, and we are doing everything we can to ensure patients, their families, our employees, and our community remain safe. We are following all recommended protocols and safety measures and are working closely with state and local public health agencies on COVID-19. The health and safety of our patients and staff will remain our top priority. Your Southern Grace team will continue to provide compassionate care to your loved one as we work to address this challenge together.
Southern Grace Hospice Blog
Like the zoom lens of a camera, Mother Nature baked in the negativity bias to zero in and target a threat. Your heart races, eyes dilate and breathing escalates to enable you to fight or flee. As your brain zooms in, you make life-or-death judgments that constrict your ability to see possibilities. Your focus is narrow like the zoom lens of a camera, clouding out the big picture. And it has to be this way to save you in an emergency. But over time when these maneuvers become a daily routine, you build blind spots of negativity without realizing it. Once you realize you have a choice of how to perceive and respond to a challenge and that optimism is always present—even under the direst pressures—you can start to focus your mind more on the possible, big-picture aspects of situations and build on them. In other words, you expand your lizard brain’s constrictive “zoom lens” into a “wide-angle lens,” creating a perspective that broadens your range of vision. Scientists call this tool, “broaden-and-build,” which allows you to see more possibilities, options and choices and take in more information to free you from your mind’s constriction. If you’re like many people in uncertain times, you automatically focus on the survival aspects of your life that arouse fear and equip you to rise to the occasion in a heartbeat. You build your negativity deck without recognizing it, and that becomes your lens for most situations. Your negativity bias can squeeze the life out of you and diminish your verve for life. It can restrain you from taking on new challenges, forming new relationships or deepening intimacy with old ones. But when you reshuffle your negativity deck and stack it with positivity, you have the cumulative benefit of unlocking a range of options. It’s essential to be intentional about shifting your negativity bias, make an effort to look for and experience positive emotions and savor them much like you would an ice cream cone. Here are 10 actions to stir your optimistic juices, stack the cards in your favor and embrace the perspective less taken: 1. Broaden your scope. Focus on the solution, not the problem. Step back from today’s challenge, look at the big picture, and brainstorm a wide range of options instead of over-focusing on the difficulty. Every time you’re feeling pessimistic or hopeless, put on your wide-angle lens, pull up the big picture and see the situation in a broad context instead of from the narrow lens that clouds out possibilities. 2. Dwell on your personal resources. Dwell on positive aspects of your life where you can make a difference. Consider the personal resources at your fingertips to overcome obstacles, instead of the limitations: staying healthy, getting ample sleep, exercising, meditating, eating well and establishing strong social supports. Remind yourself how they provide an opportunity for you to learn more about your strengths and positive qualities and put them into practice. When was the last time you soaked in a hot bath, contemplated in nature or meditated? Make a 15-minute appointment with yourself and schedule personal time so you have more to give and receive. Then, reach out to others who need you over social media, stay in touch with loved ones, and volunteer to help when and where you can. 3. Learn how resilient you really are. Turning defeat into a well-learned lesson builds you up instead of tearing you down. Be curious about what you can learn about yourself from social distancing and use it as stepping-stones instead of roadblocks. Ask yourself: “How can I make this situation work to my advantage?” or “Can I find something positive in this crisis?” or “What can I manage or overcome in this instance?” 4. Be Chancy. You’re likely to be more resilient if you stick your neck out than if you settle into cozy ruts and routines. Try new things, be creative and develop a new hobby or skill. Ask yourself what you can add or change to spice up your life. Take small risks in new situations instead of letting survival fears predict negative outcomes. 5.Engage your “tallcomings,” self-compassion, and positive self-talk . Underscore your triumphs and high-five your “tallcomings” instead of bludgeoning yourself with your “shortcomings.” Make it a habit to throw modesty out the window and name as many of your accomplishments as you can—what you’re good at, the skills and talents you possess and what you’ve achieved that your negativity bias constantly overshadows. Affirm positive feedback instead of letting it roll off. Give yourself pep talks and refrain from attacking yourself or from making negative self-judgments when you stumble. Give yourself a fist pump every time you reach a milestone or important accomplishment. Tell yourself how awesome you are: “I knew I could do it!” “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but it is miles ahead in results.”—Ella Wheeler Wilcox 6. Avoid blowing situations out of proportion. Don’t let one negative experience rule your whole outlook. “I didn’t get the promotion; now I’ll never reach my career goals” becomes “I didn’t get the promotion, but there are many other steps I can take to reach my career goals.” Nothing is permanent, nothing lasts forever and every situation can be changed for the better. 7. Underscore the upside of a downside situation. Your negativity bias causes you to see the difficulty in an opportunity, but you can outfox it and start finding the opportunity in the difficulty—gains in your losses and beginnings in your endings. “I had to pay more taxes this year than ever” becomes “I made more money this year than I’ve ever made.” Instead of letting pleasantness slip by, you can highlight the way the breeze feels on your skin, savor the frozen yogurt on your tongue or linger over the fragrance of a flower. When you take time to appreciate the smallest things around you, it grows positive feelings and creates pleasing sensations such as slowed heart rate and loosened muscles. 8. Pay attention to the upbeat news wrapped around downbeat news. “Many people are going to catch COVID-19” becomes “Many people will contract the virus, and many people will get better, too.” This perspective allows you to discover gifts in adversity and how a seismic event can change your life for the better, especially when you ask what you can do in your own corner of the world to help. You can re-frame gloomy prospects in a positive way. Few situations are one hundred percent bad. If the weather forecast is fifty percent chance of rain, remind yourself there’s a fifty percent chance it won’t rain. 9.Choose your state of mind. Pay attention to the attitude you bring to these uncertain times and keep it in check. Refuse to let your negativity bias decide your perspective—regardless of how dire the circumstances. Every time you get caught in the difficulty of the moment, take a breath and step back from the situation. Before you react, give your lizard brain time to settle down from flooding you and your rational brain to come back online once your reaction settles. 10.Develop an attitude of gratitude. This is a time to count your blessings—all the things you might have overlooked, forgotten or taken for granted. The gratitude exercise helps you see the flip side of the narrow scope that your mind builds without your knowledge. Make a list of the many things you’re grateful for—the people, places and things that make your life rich and full, that bring you comfort and joy. After you’ve made your list, meditate on your appreciation for each item and visualize anything you’ve taken for granted—things or people even pets that if you didn’t have would leave your life empty and meaningless. Seize your blessings, hold them close to your heart and don’t let fear or worry distract you from the big picture and the treasured aspects of your life.
With quarantines, shelter in place and distancing mandates in effect worldwide, we are all more isolated these days. While it’s normal to want “personal space” and occasional alone time, prolonged isolation can have a profoundly negative impact on your mind, mood and body. Research has shown that chronic social isolation increases the risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety and substance abuse, as well as chronic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. It also raises the risk of dementia in older adults. “Humans are social creatures by nature,” explains clinical psychologist Anne Rufa, PhD. “We’re not meant to lead solitary lives. It’s important for us to be able to engage, to share our experiences and feelings with others and have them bear witness. That’s true even for people who are introverted. Additionally, when we physically bond with loved ones, like hugging or breastfeeding, the pituitary gland releases a hormone called oxytocin that makes us feel calm and happy.” Restrictions on social interactions are likely to continue for weeks or even months. To help, Rufa offers 7 things you can do to combat the potentially damaging effects of isolation, keep connected and safeguard your well-being while you stay home. 1. Find new ways to come together. Around the world, people of all ages are coming up with inventive ways to bring us closer even as the physical distance between us grows — like neighbors in Atlanta cheering for healthcare providers nightly from their balconies.\ Create your own nightly neighborhood ritual, whether it’s a song or something else meaningful to you (just remember to always practice safe distancing). If you have the available technology, organize virtual group activities, like game nights, viewing parties, cooking competitions, dance parties or book clubs. Or try a virtual scavenger hunt where participants search their own homes and/or yards for a list of similar items. Rufa also recommends reaching out beyond your own circle to the vulnerable members of your community, such as seniors and people with disabilities — especially those who live alone or don’t have access to technology. “Consider if you have the ability to engage with neighbors who may need help. Pick up a few groceries for them during your weekly shopping trip, help them get medications, leave treats at their door, or simply call them on the phone a few times a week to check in,” Rufa says. “There are many ways to help our most vulnerable citizens feel less isolated. Even a small gesture goes a long way.” 2. Take outdoor breaks. Rufa recommends scheduling fresh air breaks throughout the day — whether you walk around the block a few times, walk your dog, hang out on your balcony or porch, or just crack open a window. Being outdoors or letting the outdoors in can help you feel less claustrophobic and more connected to the world around you. Just make sure to keep at least six feet between you and anyone you encounter while you are out; you can still greet them with a wave and friendly words from that safe distance. A bonus to being outside, even briefly: 10 minutes of daily sun exposure (without sunscreen) will help you maintain a healthy level of vitamin D. 3. Commemorate special occasions. Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, births and other happy milestones is life-affirming and mood-boosting. So even in these stressful times, carve out time to enjoy special moments. Bakeries and restaurants are still open, and most have curbside or door-to-door delivery: If you are able to do so, get a special treat. Or try preparing something yourself — a recipe you’ve always wanted to try or your favorite dish. You can also throw a virtual party with friends and loved ones, even send invitations via email or text as you would for an in-person party. To honor those you care about on their special days: Craft a homemade card or gift and leave it on their doorstep or in their mailbox. If that’s not possible, take a photo of yourself holding a card or sign and text or email it to them. Or, sing “Happy Birthday” and share the video. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate production: it’s all about showing that you are thinking of them. 4. 'See' your loved ones. While texting or calling are great ways to check in, actually seeing the faces of family, friends and co-workers can help you feel more connected than just hearing their voices. From virtual hangouts and meetings, to Skype and Facetime, to Instagram and TikTok, there are many ways to incorporate visuals into your communications. For those who aren’t as tech-savvy but want to learn, there are YouTube tutorials and free apps that can help you get started. Rufa recommends the Generations on Line app for senior citizens: “It’s designed specifically for older adults to help them understand how to use devices, like tablets, that they may not be comfortable with.” And if you don’t have video capabilities or just don’t feel comfortable being on camera, try a simple photo swap via text or email; you and the person you’re talking to can then pull up the pictures and look at each other while you’re talking. Even in these stressful times, carve out time to enjoy special moments. 5. Use mindfulness to create a sense of calm. If you start to feel overwhelmed by feelings of loneliness, anxiety or hopelessness, and you don’t have access to the people or activities that typically enable you to cope, mindfulness can help. “Mindfulness is all about staying in the moment and not going down the path of ‘what if?’ ” Rufa explains. “ ‘What if I have to be isolated for several more months? What if I lose my job? What if I get sick? Those fears are very real. The key is to balance your emotions rather than going down the potentially fraught path of worrying about the future.” Find an activity that can keep you in the moment, and fully immerse yourself by engaging as many of your senses — sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing — as possible. For instance, if you are preparing a meal, focus all of your attention on cooking and eating: Concentrate on the texture of the ingredients, the sound of the pan sizzling, the aroma, the presentation on the plate and the delicious taste. “Really try to stay grounded and give yourself a break from the challenges you’re dealing with,” Rufa says. “Maybe cooking isn’t your thing, but can you be fully present with your child while spending time with them, or with a craft or puzzle, or while you’re out taking a fresh air break? It can be challenging, but it’s helpful to get even a temporary reprieve from our negative thoughts.” Learn more about how mindfulness practice can help in times of uncertainty. 6. Accept that the situation is challenging. “It’s important to acknowledge that this is just going to be hard for awhile,” Rufa says. “As much as we are fortunate that many of us have access to these different ways of connecting with others — loved ones, or strangers with shared interests — it’s still an unprecedented time, and we need to be OK with whatever emotions we’re experiencing.” Some days you will feel more frustrated, stressed or anxious than others, and you may have more emotional ups and downs during the day. Allow yourself to experience your feelings in the moment, then see if there’s something you can do to restore your emotional balance, even something as simple as closing your eyes and taking deep breaths, or making yourself a fragrant cup of tea. 7. If you are struggling, talk to a mental health professional. You don’t have to cope with your feelings on your own. There are many supportive services available to help. “COVID-19-related social isolation could affect people with mental health issues like depression, anxiety or PTSD more profoundly. But we are all vulnerable during times like these,” Rufa says. “I encourage anyone who is struggling or feeling overwhelmed to reach out to a mental health provider — whether you already have one or not — as soon as possible.” Many providers are now offering e-visits, and major insurance carriers are now covering virtual appointments to help patients and providers interact while staying safely at home.
Contact info
Southern Grace Hospice
80 Candler Road
McDonough, Georgia 30253
Open 24 hours a day
office: (678) 432-8811
fax: (678) 432-8821