All eight locations of the Wood County Committee on Aging are closing due to coronavirus concerns,
Director Denise Niese announced late Thursday.
All locations will close to the general public effective Friday at 1 p.m. This will be in effect through
March 31.
"As March 31 approaches we will consult with the Wood County health commissioner, Ben Batey,
regarding the status of re-opening," Niese said.
"Yesterday, today and tomorrow, all are reinforcing the importance to our participants to remain at
home and avoid public gatherings —including church, restaurants and movies. We are also continuing to
encourage the congregate dining site participants to take advantage of home delivered meals during this
time."
Those most at risk for dire consequences related to the coronavirus are predominately the population
served by WCCOA. That being said, WCCOA has put in place a plan for modified operations.
This will be the starting point and will be modified as need arises or recommended by the Wood County
Health Department.
This plan calls for:
· Medical escort will be provided on a case by case basis (but not for clients who are symptomatic of the
virus).
· WCCOA will work with the Wood County Health Department to access masks for use by staff and volunteers
who will be delivering meals and/or working directly with the public.
· All senior center locations will be closed to participants and the general public.
· All congregate meal clients will be offered home delivered meal service during the duration of the
sites being closed. Beginning Wednesday, the WCCOA will be asking participants to complete a form
indicating whether they choose to be provided home delivered meals should the centers be closed or they
may also opt to decline.
· All current home-delivered meal clients will continue to receive meals.
· All participants will receive one hot lunch delivered daily and will be offered a weekly drop of seven
frozen meals to reheat for dinner.
· WCCOA will be developing a modified menu for the timeframe determined for the closure. This menu will
offer one entrée rather than a choice and during Lent all Friday menus will be meat-free (i.e. vegetable
lasagna or macaroni and cheese).
· Staff and volunteers who will be delivering home delivered meals will not be entering homes unless
absolutely necessary to make the delivery. Staff/volunteers will also be instructed to remain at least 6
feet away from a client if they need to enter the residence. The clients will be asked to have a
table/surface near the inside of the door or on their front porch / in their garage for meals to be
placed upon at delivering. In order to assure that the client is well, the staff/volunteer will have a
visual of the client or at minimum voice interaction through the door.
· All centers and staff will increase the frequency of sanitizing their work areas and public areas with
disinfectant which has the compounds necessary to “kill” coronavirus. This includes disinfecting agency
vehicles.
· All centers will be thoroughly cleaned prior to re-opening following the closure.
· All staff will be reassigned duties which will support the delivery of identified essential services,
most notably home-delivered meals.
We will also be contacting management at the senior living apartments throughout Wood County for their
assistance in organizing the ability to make a single drop within their specific complex (and for the
management and their maintenance staff to deliver to specific apartments). This will reduce exposure of
WCCOA staff and volunteers should a resident within a complex be infected with the Coronavirus.
For those Wood County residents who do not currently frequent a senior center in Wood County and who opt
to follow the recommendation to remain at home and avoid crowds and public places, and who may find that
they would benefit from participating in the home delivered meals programs, call WCCOA at 419-353-5661
for additional information.