Fighting the Opioid Crisis and How Addiction Treatment Can Help

The Detox Center Coronavirus Policy Update

As we closely monitor the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, we are taking every precaution to ensure our top priority remains the health, safety, and well-being of our clients and staff. This guides each and every decision we make.

We have and will continue to follow the guidelines of our local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC} the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Broward and Palm Beach County Health Departments. As a result, we stay current on this evolving situation, we want to assure you that we are taking the appropriate and precautionary measures, such as:

• Ensuring proper and rigorous cleaning and sanitation of common surfaces

• Requiring hourly sanitization of all staff and clients

• Provision of additional sanitizing products to our clients and staff

• Ongoing staff training to enhance cleaning and disinfecting procedures to maintain a healthy environment

• All employees are required to remain home in the event:

o They display any signs or symptoms of being ill. Employees who report to work ill will be sent home in accordance with these health guidelines.
oIf the employee has traveled outside of the state of Florida by any means or if an employee has traveled via cruise or airplane to any destination, that employee must report to management and Human Resources and self-isolate at that time.

Regarding current and admitted patient's change of schedule, the following has been implemented:

• Some programs and therapies have been temporarily postponed due to COVID-19

• Grocery shopping will be completed by the facility staff

• Clients are urged to keep a safe distance from other persons

• Hourly mandatory hand washing breaks are in effect

• Clients have been instructed to report to medical staff any symptoms

• Additional Health screenings will be conducted at that time of admission

• Clients will not be admitted to the facility if any of the following symptoms are present:

o Fever above 100 degrees
o Consistent Dry Coughing
o Shortness of Breath
o Severer body aches, that surpass PAWS range and/or
o Sore Throat

If a client does contract coronavirus, they will be isolated and quarantined on location. The client will only be handled by designated staff with the proper PPE. The local Department of Health (or equivalent agency) will be informed so that they may come out and provide further guidance on how to best handle the individual. All suspected cases are reported to the Department of Health (or local agency) who will be handling it accordingly. A deep cleaning will occur at the identified location.

Additional information regarding the virus can be found on the Broward Health Department's website or the Centers for Disease Control website.

We will continue to work together to ensure the safety of our patients and team members and adhere to any new regulatory changes as they come.

By now, many of us are probably familiar with the opioid crisis. Some of us may even have the unfortunate distinction of even knowing a friend or family member who has dealt with it, or you might even know firsthand the amount of trouble it can cause.

Don’t Let It Start

When dealing with our loved ones, it can seem like a constant uphill battle to try and help someone you might barely recognize anymore. The best way to help is to avoid it from taking hold of them in the first place. While this seems like an obvious method, sometimes it can happen right under your nose. Leaving some extra painkillers from a trip to a doctor or dentist out in the open could be all it takes to start someone down the wrong path of addiction.

If you find yourself in a situation where friends or family members are offering you opioids, it’s best to decline and consider speaking to them about the choices you see them making.

Addiction Treatment is the Answer

Opioids can be potent drugs and are a form of synthetic heroin. Due to their nature, addiction can also be powerful and requires professional help in most cases. They create extreme dependency and intense withdrawal symptoms that need to be handled professionally. You must find a location with experience treating opioid addiction and have the capabilities to handle such an addictive drug. These professionals can give you additional medication to wean you or your loved ones off of the opioids themselves, providing you with a much less stressful solution when trying to get clean.

Be sure to be honest with your loved ones (or yourself) about needing treatment. It can be difficult for you or them to make clear decisions when dealing with opioid addiction, and it is even more essential to find the proper help with professionals that can make sure the person in your life gets the help they need.