Dear Caregivers -
I know many of you are anxious to know what the coming weeks will bring. Empower Cherokee is committed to providing the most up to date information that we can. Below is our latest update:
· Cherokee County Schools will be closed for at least two weeks starting Monday, March 16th.
· Cherokee Area Transit (CATS) will not provide routes to Empower Cherokee or The Cherokee County Senior Center starting Monday, March 16th at least the next two weeks.
· Empower Cherokee Key Staff and Board Members met this morning to discuss possible outcomes of this situation, and we have determined that we need the help of our caregivers to make an informed decision moving forward.
· Below is a link to a survey. We are asking for input from all caregivers in the survey. Please take the time to fill out this survey so we can effectively plan for the next few weeks.
· In the event, we do remain open we face the following short term changes during the community closures:
Families and Caregivers will have to provide transportation to and from Empower Cherokee
Potential reduction participation of people supported
Potential reduction in staff
We will be collecting data to determine who in our program is a high risk for COVID-19
We will be stopping all non-essential community programming which includes group and individual activities as well as potential employment services
Increased Infection Control Measures
Empower Cherokee recognizes that we have a shared responsibility with families and caregivers to provide appropriate support to persons who receive our services, and we recognize that we have a responsibility to do our part to keep participants, families, caregivers, and staff healthy and safe. It is our intent to work with our stakeholders to determine the best course of action to maintain an appropriate balance in the care we provide. Please note that the best way to get information about this ever-changing situation is to sign up on our website for emails, check our blog regularly, or like our Facebook page and check it regularly. We plan to be open on Monday pending results of the presidential address and the surveys.
Respectfully,
Heather Daily
Executive Director