Episode 13

When Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) staff saw what was happening with COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in neighbouring Washington, it went into planning mode to protect the Oregonians it serves who are at high risk for the coronavirus. APD was the first DHS program to launch a pandemic response, focusing on long-term care facilities. Today, 96 percent of those facilities do not have COVID-19 cases.

APD Interim Director Mike McCormick and DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht discuss the program’s response. The two also discuss the program’s concerns about a 23% drop in reports of abuse and neglect; temporary policy changes, and a spike in calls to the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) hotline from people looking for help, especially for nutrition, meal delivery and medical resources.

“All of us are experiencing some level of anxiety about what it’s going to look like as Oregon reopens its economy. We’re having those discussions. There’s going be a lot of uncertainties and I would hope our staff remain vigilant and continue to practice the Centers for Disease Control recommendations and give each other grace as we go through this learning process together,” McCormick said. 

Find more information for staff about COVID-19 on the OWL (https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-DHSOHA-COVID19/SitePages/DHS-COVID19-Communications.aspx).

Find more information for clients and the public about COVID-19 on the DHS website. (https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/COVID-19/Pages/Home.aspx)

Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).

Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE COVID-19 EP09.pdf).