About Our COVID Practices in Nebraska

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since COVID-19 first made headlines and indelibly changed all our lives. From the moment the pandemic hit, we’ve been doing our part to keep our team members, the people we support, their families and loved ones, and the members of our extended community safe and healthy. Even though reported cases of COVID appear to be dropping, we’re still taking every precaution to prevent infections from occurring in our locations.

Understanding Who is at Risk in Nebraska

While people with developmental disabilities aren’t necessarily at greater risk for contracting COVID-19, unless they have an underlying health issue like diabetes, they do have a greater chance of being denied access to the services they need. Hands of Heartland continues to provide the supports people need, so everyone can live their best lives despite the pandemic.

All of our team members follow basic guidelines as they support the people who rely on them. Wearing masks, social distancing whenever possible, washing and sanitizing their hands, cleaning spaces–these are all things our team members do regularly, day in and day out.

If you visit one of our facilities, such as our newest campus in Fremont, NE, you’ll see that we have a permanent sanitation station in every office. You’ll also see people wearing masks–with some boasting unique designs–when they’re attending get-togethers or working with someone. You’ll likely notice caregivers participating in virtual meetings, too.

What you may not be as quick to realize is that we’ve transitioned to home-based day service programs when there have been spikes in confirmed COVID cases. Even if an increase in reported cases isn’t local, we remain sensitive to the data and take the precautions necessary to keep our compassionate team members and the people we support safe and healthy.

Going Above and Beyond

Given the nature of COVID and the potential consequences of an infection, we know doing the basics isn’t enough. That’s why many of our team members have already been vaccinated along with a lot of the people who rely on our I/DD services. And we’re not done in this regard, as COVID vaccinations are ongoing.

Year in Review

Now that the year mark for handling COVID has come and gone, it’s time to reflect. Although the past 12-plus months have been challenging, rising above those challenges has brought us all closer together. When you know that there’s a very real risk of someone you work with or care for becoming infected with a potentially deadly virus, you appreciate others and hold them more dearly than ever before.

That’s an outlook that we’re all grateful for, and that we’ll all take with us as we move forward. While it’s a hard-earned lesson, it’s one that’s made us better people in both personal and professional contexts.

Continued Communication

Just like we’ll continue to take the steps discussed above and adopt new practices as they’re recommended to ensure everyone remains safe, we’ll continue to communicate openly with the individuals we support, their family members, and the communities we proudly serve. To learn more about our COVID practices or the I/DD services we’re proud to offer, contact Hands of Heartland at your convenience.