Older adults are among those most vulnerable to COVID-19, so the
Carroll County Adult Public Guardianship Program has adapted its
practices throughout the pandemic to ensure its clients are cared for
and kept safe.
A public guardian can be appointed by the court when a person is not
able to make everyday decisions and/or handle their finances because of a
disease or disabling condition, according to the county website. A
guardian’s duties may include case management, arranging funerals,
attending court hearings, and communicating with hospitals, long-term
care ombudsmen and the local health department.
At the helm of the county’s program is coordinator Becca Claycomb. The
program currently cares for more than 25 older adults, though they have
served as many as 40 this year, she said. About half of the program’s
current clients have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by
the novel coronavirus, according to Celene Steckel, director of the
Department of Citizen Services.
Of the Adult Public Guardianship Program’s clients, 12 have tested
positive for COVID-19, seven of them have recovered and one died as of
Friday, Steckel said.
Clients of the guardianship program may live in nursing homes or other
long-term care facilities, which have been hit especially hard by the
pandemic of COVID-19. As of Monday, 515 of the county’s 932 cases were
found in congregate living facilities, according to Carroll County
Health Department. Eighty-eight of the county’s 97 fatalities occurred
in such places.
Claycomb’s role is to ensure clients receive all benefits available to
them, many of which fall under the Bureau of Aging and Disabilities.
“The majority of the clients served have been diagnosed with dementia
at varying stages,” Claycomb wrote in an email. “The guardianship
clients typically present with different medical and psychiatric
diagnoses ranging in severity.”
To keep their clients safe, guardians have adapted to video chats and
conference calls to stay in contact with those they serve.
Typically, guardians would see clients face-to-face at least every six
to eight weeks, according to Claycomb, though she said visits usually
occurred more often. Now, guardians are staying in touch with clients
via video calls such as FaceTime, participating in telehealth
appointments, and getting care updates from facility and medical staff,
she said.
Court hearings have been postponed
since local courts closed to the public except for emergency
proceedings, but emergency guardianship petitions are still being
processed, Claycomb wrote.
She said it is unlikely staff will see their clients in person until the third stage of the governor’s reopening plan.
“Our clients make up some of the most vulnerable individuals within the
county and we do not want to risk exposing them to the virus,” Claycomb
wrote.
Referrals for guardianship typically come to the Bureau of Aging and
Disabilities from assisted living facilities, skilled nursing
facilities, state and local hospitals, and the local Department of
Social Services, according to Claycomb. There has been a steady increase
in referrals and petitions in the past few years, Claycomb said, and
she expects the number to become larger as the older adult population
grows.
Full Article & Source:
Public guardians of Carroll County’s older adults adjust approach, even as COVID-19 infects clients
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