We know this pandemic is having a large impact on families, caregivers, and our community at large in so many ways. We are here to help you in any way we can. Click here for a collective list of resources. You can also click here to sign-up for our e-blast communications. All previous communications are listed below.
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Essential worker relieved URS re-opens to provide support for son with special needs
Story from WDTN Channel 2, Monday, April 13, 2020
URS Update on COVID-19, Coronavirus
April 11, 2020
As most are fully aware, United Rehabilitation Services (URS) closed all in-house day programs and therapies for children and adults effective March 16, 2020. Employment Services was the only program that continued. We are happy to report that we are now prepared to begin gradually restoring day programming and outpatient therapies to our clients and their families effective Monday, April 13, 2020!
Previously, we noted that although Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) closed Adult Day Programs and Child Care Centers on March 22. 2020, there was a provision that allowed services under certain restrictions. URS obtained a Pandemic Child Care temporary license under which we will be providing care in classes of 6 or fewer children beginning Monday, April 13, 2020. The parent(s) of these children are all from the approved list of “essential” jobs as defined by Governor DeWine. URS is also supporting our Early Head Start and Head Start families by providing ideas for activities and supplies such as diapers, wipes and formula.
URS will also be providing Adult Day programming for groups of up to 8 individuals at URS beginning Monday, April 13, 2020 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.This will include URS providing the transportation so that we can avoid unnecessary exposure for clients who might otherwise use some form of public transportation. We are available to also offer in-home individual support for families using Home-Based Personal Care (HPC) as well as “virtual services” or those “on behalf of” individuals such as online activities, shopping and delivering food, supplies etc. In order to protect the health and safety of each individual served and our staff, we will be following the strict guidance for screening and social distancing provided by Governor DeWine, the Center for Disease Control, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DoDD).
Our team of Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapists will be calling all of their patients Monday, April 13, 2020 to schedule online telehealth therapy appointments using ZOOM software. We are very pleased to be able to respond to the many requests to resume providing needed treatments and we are confident this will be of tremendous value to our patients!
We thank all of you from throughout our community for your support and understanding during this difficult time. We know you too appreciate the importance we place on protecting the safety and health of everyone whose lives we touch. If you have any needs we can assist with or have questions or concerns, please contact me or anyone of our Leadership Team members:
- Adult Services, Annette Malone, amalone@ursdayton.org
- Youth Services, Tracy Pohlabel, tpohlabel@ursdayton.org
- Therapy Services, Rachel Zidaroff, rzidaroff@ursdayton.org
- Employment Services, Jeremy Nelson, jnelson@ursdayton.org
- Executive Director, Dennis Grant, dgrant@ursdayton.org
URS Updates on COVID-19
Sunday, April 5, 2020
United Rehabilitation Services (URS) has remained closed since March 16, 2020 for Adult and Youth Day Programs and our outpatient Therapy Clinic. We have continued to provide Employment Services remotely per the directives from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) on a limited basis. On March 22, 2020, Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) mandated closure of Adult Day Programs with groups larger than 10 and all Child Care Centers unless they had a Pandemic Child Care license and maintained class sizes of up to 6 children.
URS recently obtained a Pandemic Child Care temporary license that allows us to provide this service to our community following the prioritized list of “essential” jobs identified by the Governor. The highest priority is given to hospital/healthcare staff and first responders. URS has been in communication with Premier Health Partners, Kettering Health Network, Montgomery County Sherriff’s Department and our area police and fire departments to communicate our Pandemic Child Care services. Our total capacity is only 24 to 30 children, ages 6 weeks to 12 years, but we hope to be able to assist in supporting these critical community partners.
URS is also offering in-home individual support for families using Home-Based Personal Care (HPC) and will also be available to provide small group Adult Day programming at URS on Monday, April 13, 2020 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. In order to protect the health and safety of each individual served and our staff, we will be following the strict guidance for screening and social distancing provided by Governor DeWine, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DoDD).
Everyday we gain new information and attempt to make the best decisions possible to best meet the needs of those we serve, their families and the community, while protecting the safety and health of everyone. If you have any needs we can assist with or have questions /concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Leadership Team:
- Adult Services, Annette Malone, amalone@ursdayton.org
- Youth Services, Tracy Pohlabel, tpohlabel@ursdayton.org
- Therapy Services, Rachel Zidaroff, rzidaroff@ursdayton.org
- Employment Services, Jeremy Nelson, jnelson@ursdayton.org
- Executive Director, Dennis Grant, dgrant@ursdayton.org
URS Update on COVID-19, Coronavirus
Saturday, March 28, 2020
As you know, United Rehabilitation Services (URS) closed Adult and Youth Day Programs, along with our outpatient Therapy Clinic, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. We have completed the deep cleaning and sanitizing of all the program areas and vehicles. Since then Governor DeWine mandated closure of all Child Care and Adult Day Programs. Our facility remains closed at this time but we are exploring what the needs are of the individuals we serve and their families and how we can best meet them given the orders of the Governor and the Ohio Department of Health.
URS is hopeful that we can begin offering in-home support and small group Adult Day Activities at our center sometime in the next 2 – 3 weeks if there is a need and sufficient interest. This would allow for a maximum of 8 individuals with 2 staff in each group and requires that we follow very stringent guidelines, including daily screening of all staff, clients and families, keeping each group separate with their own entrances, restroom facilities, etc.
Governor DeWine has also allowed for Pandemic Child Care under a Temporary License that URS recently obtained. We are evaluating whether URS can provide this service to our community and will communicate next week our plans going forward to provide Pandemic Child Care to the prioritized list of “essential” jobs that the governor has outlined, which includes hospital or clinic staff and first responders.
We appreciate the challenges these decisions create for everyone but we feel this is the best alternative to protect the safety and health of the individuals we serve, their families and our staff. If you have any needs, questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Leadership Team:
Adult Services, Annette Malone, amalone@ursdayton.org
Youth Services, Tracy Pohlabel, tpohlabel@ursdayton.org
Therapy Services, Rachel Zidaroff, rzidaroff@ursdayton.org
Employment Services, Jeremy Nelson, jnelson@ursdayton.org
URS Actions to Address COVID-19 Coronavirus
Sunday, March 22, 2020
In order to protect the safety and health of the individuals we serve, their families and our employees, URS closed Adult and Youth Day Programs, along with outpatient Therapy Clinic, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. Last week, we maintained a staff of approximately 40 who have done an incredible job of deep cleaning and organizing all of the program areas in our 63,000 square feet center. We will remain closed and continue to clean and disinfect with a skeleton crew, providing regular updates as this situation develops.
As a result of the mandates from Governor DeWine to close Senior Day Centers and Adult Day Programs with groups of 10 or more, we are exploring how we can continue to support our adult and youth clients and their families through in-home assistance and delivery of the supplies they need. See below an interview from WDTN Channel 2 with Executive Director, Dennis Grant.
Please know that in spite of the financial loss we are experiencing and the challenges these decisions create for many, we feel this is the best alternative to protect the safety and health of the individuals we serve. Given the multiple and sometimes complex conditions that our clients have, continuing to operate with business as usual was not a realistic option for us.
For additional resources and information, click here to view our website or visit our Facebook page.
Click here to view the News Story on WDTN Channel 2:
Closing of URS Adult Day and Child Care and Therapy Programs
Sunday, March 15, 2020
As I have stated previously, the safety and health of the children and adults we serve is our greatest priority. This concern of course also extends to their families and our employees. We have done everything possible to minimize the risk to everyone from the current pandemic of the Covid 19 Coronavirus. In spite of this, we know that there is still a strong possibility that someone, whether an employee or a client, will be exposed to this virus and we will quickly discover it has spread dramatically before we even notice they have symptoms.
Because we have so many adults and children in our care who have chronic health conditions which place them at greater risk of contracting the Covid 19 virus and experiencing serious consequences, we feel we have no choice but to close all URS programs for at least the next two weeks and hope to reopen by March 30, 2020. We will be certain to communicate updates as new information becomes available.
This will allow us time to fully sanitize our entire facility and to more completely evaluate how to best respond to this pandemic. Additional information and guidance is being provided daily so we are hopeful that when we reopen, we will be in a position to know how best to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Please know that we understand that this will be a hardship for many of you and we do not take that lightly. However, when considering the safety and health of the people we serve each day, we feel this is the best course of action.
Planning and Response to Covid 19 (Coronavirus)
Thursday, March 12, 2020
We want to share information regarding the measures that United Rehabilitation Services (URS) has taken and intends to implement in response to the Covid 19 Coronavirus. As you all know, some of the individuals we serve have chronic health conditions that make them more vulnerable to such a virus. Our clients are often in rooms with dozens of other people, and we are doing everything in our power to control the environment and any potential exposure.
Over the past week URS has dramatically stepped up efforts to clean and sanitize restrooms, vehicles, classrooms, meeting spaces, treatment areas in our therapy clinic and nursing office, including doorknobs, handles, light switches, handrails, etc. Our on-site nurses have also been providing “classes” to reinforce the importance of standard precautions and hand washing for our staff, and the adults and children we serve. Instructions on standard precautions and hand washing are also posted throughout our building.
Additional alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also being made available throughout the building and on our vehicles. Standard guidance has been provided on covering your mouth when coughing, and we have emphasized to everyone in our center to refrain from touching their eyes, nose or face with unwashed hands and so on. If someone is coughing or feeling ill, we have face masks available to prevent exposing others to the spread of germs.
We are asking staff, clients and volunteers who have been exposed to someone suspected of having Covid 19, not to come to URS and should be self-quarantined for two weeks. In addition, any staff or clients who display symptoms common to Covid 19 are being advised to stay home and not come to URS. The common symptoms to watch for include:
· Fever over 100 F
· Cough
· Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
Please know that we have received information and guidance from dozens of resources and are formulating our plans based upon the best data available. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at (937) 233-1230.
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