Best Practices for Masking, Infection Control in Independent Living

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are many ways – in addition to basic health and hygiene practices – that you can help protect yourself and your community from severe illness from COVID-19. In non-medical senior living settings, these recommendations may help keep residents, visitors, and staff healthy as certain masking requirements for health care settings unwind.

The CDC recommendations for any “Community Level” include improving ventilation; staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines; testing for COVID-19 when needed; physically distancing if you or someone you know is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19; and seeking treatment for COVID-19, particularly when an individual is at high risk of getting very sick.

When COVID-19 Community Levels – which indicate the amount of severe illness in an area – are Medium or High, the CDC additionally strongly encourages wearing masks or respirators and increasing space and distance to protect yourself and others from severe illness.

More information on these recommendations, resources to help individuals form their own COVID-19 response plan, and a tool to check your county’s COVID-19 Community Level are available on the CDC’s website.

Independent living providers may also find the CDC’s guidance pertaining to congregate living settings useful in determining and responding to their community’s unique level of risk based on residents’ age, vulnerability to severe illness, ability to follow prevention guidelines, use of common or shared spaces, and engagement of home-based health care services.

Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866