RSI’S COVID-19 RESPONSE

Our Pandemic Committee, which is made up of heads of departments, our Executive Director, and Director of Health Services has been meeting weekly or more frequently since February of this year. The purpose of the group is to share and follow the most up-to-date guidelines coming from the CDC, DHS, and MDH. In addition, the group continues to collect the most essential information to pass along to RSI employees, especially our front-line direct caregivers.

In the event that somebody in an RSI home, either resident or staff person, has a confirmed case of COVID-19, our Pandemic Committee’s continued work in securing resources, determining the best use for existing RSI settings, and disseminating vital information will be a crucial part of our response.

If there is a confirmed case at RSI, we will immediately report it to the Minnesota Department of Health and then get in contact with guardians, case managers, care teams, and anybody who has had potential exposure to the infected individual.

To request a digital or physical copy of our company COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, please reach out to Katie at katie.mcdougall@residentialservices.org or call us at (218) 740-7603.

RSI employees had the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination through our local pharmacy partner in tier 3 of the first phase of the vaccine rollout in Minnesota.

New employees or employees who decide to get vaccinated after our internal vaccine clinics are encouraged to sign up through Minnesota’s Vaccine Connector or the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Registry.

At this time all employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, continue to be held to the same health, safety, and prevention standards set by the CDC, MDH, and DHS.

The safety and health of the people we support and their caregivers is our first priority. Our team of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses continue to provide oversight and guidance to all direct care staff at RSI. In addition to restricting all non-essential visitors to our homes, employees working in RSI homes are following these practices:

• All employees performing direct care are provided with surgical face masks and eye protection and are required to wear surgical masks upon entering an RSI home or private home settings.
• All employees are required to have their temperature taken before entering RSI homes, and may not enter any RSI location if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.
• All direct care employees have received “Bloodborne Pathogens and Infection Control” as part of their initial training. In light of COVID-19, employees have received additional training on handwashing, infection control, and RSI’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.
• Our facilities team remains hard at work purchasing and procuring donations of cloth face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for employees.

Our main office in Duluth and regional offices in Virginia and North Branch continue to be open from 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday. We are asking that non-essential visitors do not go to our offices at this time.

Because COVID-19 is so easily transmittable, RSI discourages visitors in a person’s home during the pandemic and especially when the Governor has issued an Executive Order restricting gathering and socializing with people outside of your home. Staff recommend and help to arrange alternative means to connect with family and friends that may include virtual visits via FaceTime, Zoom, etc., phone calls, texts, email, sending a personal message or card through the mail, sitting outside at least 6 feet apart, or visiting through a window. RSI may need to implement a quarantine plan (or as otherwise indicated by the latest CDC and MDH guidance) upon a person’s return from a social gathering. What this will look like will depend on the setting and the people involved, as determined by RSI nurses and state guidelines.

We understand the need to support a person’s health and safety while balancing their right to risk and their need to foster relationships that are important to them. We believe it’s important for people to make informed decisions. Therefore, providing education as to how to stay safe while engaging in activities that are important to them is a priority during this time.

If a person chooses to invite a visitor into their home after education and discussion of alternative, physically distanced ways of connecting with their loved ones, the visit will take place in the person’s own room or a room where others are not exposed to the visitor. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks and are also provided with optional eye protection during visits. Permitted visitors are to refrain from physical contact with other people while in the home, other than the person they are visiting. Maintaining physical distance with no hand-shaking or hugging and remain six feet apart is encouraged.

RSI screens visitors for fever and other symptoms associated with COVID-19 before they enter the home and exclude those who are ill from coming into homes and offices. Signs are posted at the entrances of RSI offices and homes asking people to not enter the building if they are experiencing a dry cough, fever/temperature over 100 degrees, have trouble breathing, or have had recent contact with somebody who has tested positive for COVID-19. The name of the visitor, date of visit, and contact information are recorded for contact tracing purposes.

Visitors are provided hand sanitizer or access to a handwashing area immediately upon entering any RSI home.

For more information:

• Guidance on upholding rights, person-centered practices, service suspension and service terminations during MN’s peacetime emergency
• Guidance for Window Visits at Long-Term Care Facilities
• Guidance for Visiting People at Home

Employees who work out of RSI offices are following the guidelines that have been determined by our Pandemic Committee, including the following practices:

• Providing hand sanitization stations at all office entrances 
• Limiting the use of shared common office spaces
• Some are working from home when feasible
• Wearing masks while in common spaces or for in-person meetings
• Utilizing technology whenever possible to reduce in-person meetings and disinfecting meeting spaces before and after each use

Providing a range of support to our front-line staff is a crucial part of our pandemic response plan and retention efforts. Most importantly, we continue to share the most relevant and up-to-date information on COVID-19, as well as providing the training and support needed to make our homes as safe as possible for the people who live and work in them.

• The RSI Board of Directors has permanently increased wages by $2.00 per hour to recognize the essential services our employees provide. In the event that RSI has a home with a positive COVID-19 case, employees working at that location will receive an additional $3.00 per hour pay increase.
• The RSI Board of Directors doubled our yearly employee recognition budgets for caregivers to recognize the essential role they are playing in communities and in the lives of the people we provide services to.
• RSI leadership continues to share information on childcare, community services, Centers of Disease Control recommendations, and other relevant information related to COVID-19 and RSI’s response plan with all employees.
• We are hosting weekly informational call-in meetings for all office workers, managers, and supervisors that feature our Executive Director, Health Services Director, and other leadership who share up-to-date information about RSI’s response plan.
• Under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, employees are eligible to receive up to two weeks (80 hours for full-time staff, or a part-time employee’s two-week equivalent) of paid sick leave when unable to work due to a COVID-19 qualifying reason covered under the act.

Yes, RSI is continuing to hire both temporary and long-term direct care staff. We have introduced short-term work opportunities for people in our communities who are experiencing a loss or reduction in their regular employment. 

Employment interviews with our Human Resources team are now being held over the phone or video conference to limit direct social interaction. We have also temporarily canceled our weekly walk-in interviews at all of our offices. Potential employees are provided a face mask for all RSI site visits. 

To reduce gatherings of new employees at RSI offices for classroom trainings, our HR team has revised our training program. Orientation and medication administration courses are scheduled for multiple times per week to ensure small or one-person class sizes. All other essential trainings have been moved to an online platform.

We are still accepting donations of long-sleeved 3XL or larger dress shirts. To make a donation, please contact us at (218) 727-2696 or email us at info@residentialservices.org.

Visit our blog to learn more about our donation project.

RSI also accepts donations to our Activity Fund for Supported People with GiveMN. Visit our donation page to learn more about our fundraising efforts.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please refer to the following organizations:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

St. Louis County

Carlton County

Isanti County

Chisago County

Kanabec County

Pine County

Mille Lacs County