By Marissa Belmes
As the COVID-19 pandemic grips our community, our thoughts and support are with those on the front lines fighting the outbreak. Doctors and nurses deserve recognition for their important work in this global health crisis, and rightfully so. But there is another group, less visible, that engages in trench warfare with more ordinary weapons. These are the housekeeping staff of ACC Care Center.
Don’t let their friendly demeanor fool you. They are on a serious mission to save lives and at great risk to themselves. Armed with an arsenal of cleaning supplies including powerful disinfectants, they sanitize equipment, furniture, floors, and other surfaces throughout the Care Center for the protection of residents and staff. Every day is game on, and they are very proud of what they do. “We are the Virus Busters of ACC,” says May Lyn Hallberg. The others respond with a laugh.
Says Evangeline Grande, “We are here to get rid of the virus. We go in and clean as many times as possible. We take out trash and sanitize everything, the toilets, the bathroom, everything must be sanitized.”
Sumintra Devi joined ACC Care Center in 1999 and has been there the longest. “I have never seen anything like this before,” she says referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, “But we are a team and we are ready.” Sumintra also says that everyone at ACC Care Center is friendly and like a family to her.
Hiyasmin Valenzuela is honest with her feelings, “Multiple times in a day, we clean, wipe all surfaces for fear of catching the virus. I do not want to bring it home to my family.” The others share her feelings. They describe the precautions they take when they get home regarding the removal of shoes and clothing.
Our dedicated housekeeping staff is trained on proper cleaning procedures to ensure safe and correct application of disinfectants. Our stellar performers conduct terminal cleaning, an intense disinfecting procedure that involves disinfecting entire resident and staff areas. We use EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) registered disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). According to CDC, coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. It is incumbent upon us to have robust cleaning procedures to eradicate the virus from our building.
Administrator Tamara Kario says “ACC Care Center is COVID-free in large part due to the housekeepers.”
Add a Comment