COVID-19 Partnership Pledge
Dear Families,
Teletherapy is a new service we added to be able to continue to provide occupational, physical and speech therapy since the pandemic. We have been enjoying this opportunity to get a glimpse of “a day in the life” of your child so that we can improve our treatment planning and establish better home programs. If you did not elect to do teletherapy, it truly is worth a trial visit so that you can see how your child responds. I was definitely pleased with the children’s ability to participate via the screen. While some children can participate independently, parental involvement is key during the session and this platform allows for more time to work one-on-one with you for home programming. Teletherapy is the safest way for our families and therapists to continue therapy with no risk of COVID-19 exposure. Thankfully, insurance companies have extended this option to all of our families during this pandemic.
Covid-19 Partnership Pledge for TheraFUN
When you come in for an appointment, we are asking you to partner with us to follow certain procedures for the health and safety of everyone involved. These guidelines are recommended by the CDC, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, and American Speech Language Pathology Association.
Prior to Your Appointment
Prepare your child by letting them know of the new procedures.
Plan for your child to be greeted at your car for a health screening. Once the health screening is passed, your therapist will walk your child into the clinic to wash hands. One parent will be allowed to accompany a child for the following instances: evaluations; when a therapist has requested to do parent training; and if the child is under 3 years old and participates better with a parent in the room.
Bring a cloth mouth/nose covering for your child if they are over 2 years old. Masks may have to be removed when in speech therapy.
Bring a cloth mouth/nose covering for yourself if you are accompanying your child.
A disposable mask will be provided, as needed.
Bring activities for siblings to do while they wait in the car with parent/guardian as siblings will not be allowed inside at this time.
Pre-screen your child at home by 1) taking their temperature,2) ask how their throat feels, 3) check body for rashes, 4) observe if they have been coughing, 5) look for breathing difficulty or shortness of breath, 6) signs of a headache with sinus congestion, and 7) observe for signs of lethargy/sudden change in behavior.
If your child or any one else living in the home has tested positive for Covid-19 and your scheduled session is within 5 days of onset of symptoms/positive test or showing any of the above symptoms, we ask that your child participate in therapy via teletherapy until they are no longer showing symptoms for more than 72 hours without the use of any fever reducing medication.
If you or your child have been exposed to Covid-19 and are fully vaccinated & boosted, AND can wear a mask well, you may return to the clinic per CDC guidelines after 5 days with a full health screening of any possible symptoms prior to entering the clinic.
If you or your child have been exposed to Covid-19 and are not fully vaccinated, we ask that your child participate in therapy via teletherapy if it has been 5 days or less since the date of exposure. Testing is recommended on day 5 along with highly monitoring them for symptoms. Patient/parent must be symptom free for 72 hours after the 5 day period before returning to the clinic.
These timelines are based on the current CDC policies and will be updated accordingly. The timelines can be confusing so we are happy to walk you through this process once you notify us of your exposure or positive test. Our managers are on alert and will sign off on when your child can safely return to the clinic.
When You Arrive
Please call or text 405.366.7898 once you arrive in the parking lot to check in for your appointment .
Please remain in your car, as the therapist will meet you there.
Put on your masks in the car before therapist arrives.
Your therapist will come to greet you, take your temperature and review the COVID-19 health screening form to assess for any possible symptoms.
Please practice social distancing of 6 feet.
Therapist will accompany the child/parent to wash hands for 20 seconds in the hallway bathroom or designated sink.
Outside food and drink will not be allowed in the building.
Contactless payment arrangements are available with your 'credit card on file' or payments may be made over the phone.
Each therapy session will end 5-7 minutes early to allow the therapist time to complete disinfecting procedures.
Steps We Are Taking
1. The waiting room will remain closed. You may come in to use the restroom, but a face mask is required to enter the clinic for any reason.
2. Employee Health Screening: Employees are required to have their temperatures monitored daily and recorded prior to starting work. Anyone with a temperature over 100 degrees will not come into the clinic. All OTs and PTs are required to wear cloth mouth/nose covering or disposable masks at all times. SLPs are required to wear cloth mouth/nose covering when transporting your child and in common areas. Speech therapists will take off their mask when inside the treatment room, as needed for therapy to occur. Speech therapists are provided face shields to wear when a mask is not on. The front desk receptionist will keep the window glass closed at all times and therapists/patients will talk with her through the glass as she may not be able to wear a mask when answering the phone. Office use has been adjusted to allow for social distancing of 6’ between employees. We are asking employees to limit their unnecessary contact with others outside of the clinic.
3. Patient Health Screening: We ask that parents or children experiencing a rash, headache/sinus congestion or flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, rash, nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing) and patients that have a known exposure to COVID-19 within the past 14 days reschedule their appointments. We also ask that anyone with known health risks (age 65 and over, pregnancy, lung or heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes and immunocompromised conditions) understand and acknowledge their risk of coming into the clinic. Parents will be asked to complete a COVID-19 screening interview about their family prior to each appointment. A TheraFUN team member will check child/parent temperature before entering the building. A temperature higher than 100 degrees will warrant a fever and the appointment will be cancelled until the child is fever free for 72 hours without use of fever reducing medication. It is advised to get tested for COVID-19 if you have any symptoms.
4. Handwashing: Therapists and patients/parents will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after treatment.
5. Disinfection Procedures: Strict surface disinfection procedures are followed to clean and disinfect all surfaces between patients. An EPA recommended disinfectant is being used with proper dwell time followed in accordance with the EPA and CDC.
6. Common Area Disinfecting: All hard surfaces, such as the outside door handles, doorknobs, sink faucet, bathroom surfaces and front office counter will be sprayed and wiped with an EPA recommended disinfectant approved to kill the Coronavirus one time per hour with dwell times followed.
7. Stand-alone air purification systems with UV light have been placed in each treatment space.
8. Individual therapy rooms will be assigned to each therapist to provide a more controlled environment. No more than two therapists/two patients in a gym at one time and only one therapist/patient in each speech therapy room. Parents will be informed if their child will be sharing a space for social skills. Parent may request one-on-one treatment only.
9. Removal of materials: We will be scaling back the use of materials in each room. Suspended lycra clouds will be laundered in between patients.
10. Employee testing: Employees will be tested once we are notified of a possible direct exposure to COVID-19. You will be notified immediately by phone if your child has had a direct exposure to someone who tested positive.
It is important to understand that the Covid-19 pandemic is a changing situation, and that as CDC and/or State of Oklahoma guidance changes, TheraFUN will update guidance to staff and families. We appreciate your help in keeping our families and employees safe!
Great therapy happens as a result of strong teamwork and we are so grateful to partner with you as we help your child to “Experience the Power of Play.”
Policy Updated: 1/7/2022