Hundreds of thousands of health care workers go into homes around the country to provide vital services for seniors and disabled people. But with rising concerns about the coronavirus and the particular danger it poses for older adults, those workers could be endangering their patients and themselves.
“There is the knowledge that these are health workers who have skills that can benefit you, but the fear is the health care worker: Who is the last person they saw and where have they been lately and are they bringing something into my home?” said Dr. Thomas Schaaf, chief medical officer for Providence St. Joseph’s Home and Community Care division.