JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. — Several agencies and organizations across the metro are changing their protocol to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Mid-America Regional Council's Aging and Adult Services Director, James Stowe said right now they have two phases of changes.
One phase is immediate. It's in regard to its home delivered meal service.
Stowe said they're taking action on the best way to keep both clients and drivers safe.
"As for home delivered meals clients, they don't need to sign with a pen or paper or a tablet anymore, they can just accept the meal without signing," Stowe said. "The delivery drivers no longer have to actually enter the client's home to set the meals on the counter otherwise. They have the option to stay outside. They can even hang the meals on the door handle if they need to. So some of those changes, just helping to limit interaction."
The other phase is more gradual. Stowe said they're evaluating what group services or activities need to be suspended.
"We are working with teams across the region, working directly with the site administrators and program administrators of all of our service lines to plan practical, reasonable next steps to ensure that people are served as well as they can be," Stowe said. "So that might be anywhere from closing senior centers or other group activity sites, or taking other measures to really limit exposure of vulnerable groups to the potential virus."
On the Kansas side, Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Director, Dan Goodman said Meals on Wheels will continue as normal, which serves about 575 people.
Goodman said while the program is a critical safety net service, it is not an emergency service, and encourages recipients to reach out to other means to meet their needs during this period as well.
Starting on Monday, socialization opportunities and meetings will be suspended at congregate meal sites.
Participants of the program usually get one meal everyday, Monday through Friday.
However, shelf-stable meals are being ordered for program participants, so each person will have up to 11 meals on hand.
"We know we're running against time and we want to make sure if there is an outbreak, we possibly can prepare for that," Goodman said. "Getting those meals ordered and distributed is going to be key for folks that are isolated in their homes."
Volunteers are also being screened to make sure they're healthy before helping, many of whom are retired.
"Everybody we touch basically, in aging services, is in that high risk category, so it takes a lot of planning, a lot of thought, a lot of discussion the last few days on how to best position ourselves for the long haul with this," Goodman said.
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