Home Instead Senior Care Hurstville and Bankstown have continued to care for its clients in the St George area throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Home Instead offices provides a wide range of personal and home care services to clients, which include anything from assisting with showering to meal preparation, medication prompting or light housework. Their 'CAREGivers' are fully trained and matched with clients' needs.
Business partners and good friends Jenny Dawson and Robyn Crowhurst only opened the office a few months before the pandemic and it had impacted their business.
While it was important to them to be able to support their clients through the "difficult period", some decided to put the service on hold in order to self-isolate.
"We have had additional concerns about how we continued to support our elderly clients and also keep our CAREGivers safe," Ms Dawson said.
"Some clients put services on hold, relying instead on family members, reduced shopping and doctor's appointments."
Ms Dawson said they didn't need to make any changes to hygiene because frequent handwashing and the use of hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment was a "normal part of our work".
"Social distancing has been the biggest challenge, especially when you go into someone's home," Ms Dawson said.
"It is impractical to social distance when you are helping someone with a shower, which is why good hygiene, infection control and the right equipment is really important."
She said they were "much more conscious" now if one of their workers had cold symptoms.
"They stop working and have a coronavirus test," she said
"We have updated our policies and have plans in place should our CAREGivers or clients become sick.
"A number of our clients have had coronavirus tests and thankfully have all been negative."
Ms Dawson said the easing of restrictions was helping them stay connected with their CAREGivers and clients.
Details: Home Instead Senior Care, 8608 2900 or 0416 049 720.