August 8, 2020
To Families of our Adult Day Services Program:
Thank you for your participation in our program survey over the last few weeks. Your feedback and suggestions to the Day Services management team have been central to guiding our approach to planning for the resumption of day services. As I mentioned in my previous communication, because the COVID-19 pandemic is still active, day program activities will look different at the outset. We are committed to returning your loved ones to DDI facilities safely and that will require a phased approach. Social distancing requirements will initially mean reduced capacity to ensure the health and safety of your loved ones and our staff.
Beginning the week of August 17, 2020, day program services will resume at our Smithtown-Meadow Glen, Holbrook-Church Street and Plainview locations. DDI will begin by welcoming back those individuals living in the community, either at home with family, in family care, or living on their own, as this is the group whose day services have been only virtually delivered since the day program closure guidance went into effect. We will additionally welcome back those individuals living in residential programs as more DDI day program locations begin offering services in the ensuing weeks.
Effective on the same date, our Without Walls, Pre Vocational, SEMP and our Respite programs will resume, as well.
We will continue to offer remote instruction to those from the community who are choosing not to return to our facilities at this time. Those within a DDI residential program will continue to receive in-residence Day Program supports until we begin offering on-site day services in the second phase of our re-opening.
While your assigned Day Program Coordinator or Manager will be in touch with you shortly, below for your reference please find answers to some of the questions we have been asked over the last few weeks:
When the re-opening begins, will on site day services be offered full-time, 5 days per week?
Yes, Day Program services will resume with a normal schedule.
Will outings be part of the day services re-opening?
Community outings will once again be incorporated into our day programming but they will be reviewed and carefully selected to ensure safety. Community trips will be selected based on the ability to social distance, allowing us to ensure adherence to established safety protocols for COVID-19.
Will there be transportation restrictions?
Just as building capacities are limited in order to ensure safety, vehicle capacity is limited as well. Safe transport will mean emphasizing the use of masks, and health checks for all those transported on our DDI vehicles. Sanitizing procedures are in place to ensure vehicles are thoroughly cleaned before and during use, and our drivers will be completing a health screening for everyone prior to boarding a DDI vehicle.
What if I don't want my loved one to return to an on-site day program yet?
Those living at home are not obligated to return to program when the opportunity is offered. We will work with families on a plan for returning when families are ready. We will continue to offer remote programming in the interim.
When can I expect my child living in a DDI residence or another provider’s residence to resume services at a DDI day program site?
DDI’s two driving factors will be safety and staffing. Our plan is to use the first two weeks to
assess the effectiveness of the safety measures we will be implementing for our first three site openings. Thereafter, with sufficient staffing resources in order to ensure safe day program services, people served in residences will begin to be re-introduced to on-site day services.
Why is staffing a concern at this point?
When day programs were shut down, many staff members did not accept re-assignment to residential sites for various reasons. At this point not all staff has made a commitment to return to their previous positions. We have been expanding our hiring and training efforts to ensure we have needed staffing.
Additional questions and answers, mostly addressing the safety measures planned for our day services reopening, as required by the State and as already filed with OPWDD, accompanies this communication.
Thank you for your continued patience and support, as we work to bring your loved ones back to our facilities, while maintaining the highest health and safety standards for all involved. We will communicate our continuing progress throughout the day services re-opening process. In the meantime, please continue to work with the day services management team on specific questions or concerns regarding your loved one.
Sincerely,
John Lessard