Homage’s COVID-19 Response
Safeguarding the continuity of care: Homage’s COVID-19 Response
Last updated 5 May 2023.
As Singapore eases its COVID-19 contact tracing protocols and exits the acute phase of the pandemic, Homage will continue to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our Care Professionals and customers as per advisories for the general population, with greater precautions for vulnerable groups highlighted in the advisory from the Ministry of Health (MOH).
These are the recommended actions to take if you test positive for COVID-19 or display any acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms, such as a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Please read the section that best applies to you:
| Category | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Care Professionals (CPs) | If you test positive for COVID-19 or display any ARI symptoms, please inform Homage and cancel all scheduled visits until you recover from COVID-19 or are no longer displaying any ARI symptoms. You can submit the relevant documentation (e.g. Medical Certificate) via your Homage app. |
| Care Owners or Care Recipients who engaged Homage’s services | If your care recipient and/or anyone staying within the same household test positive for COVID-19 or display any ARI symptoms, please inform Homage and cancel your visits via your Homage app. Visits can resume when you and/or your household members recover from COVID-19 or are no longer displaying any ARI symptoms. |
Last updated 23 Feb 2022.
Homage has been following up with contact tracing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our Care Professionals and customers. As per protocols from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the team will trace up to the first degree of exposure to COVID-19.
| Degree of Exposure | Contacts | Contact Tracing? |
|---|---|---|
| Covid Positive | Care Owners, Care Recipients, Care Professionals or any related contacts of the groups who contracted COVID (ART positive) | Yes |
| First Degree Exposure | Universal 1. Care Owners, Care Recipients or Care Professionals on Health Risk Notice (HRN) 2. If close contact or next-of-kin (NOK) is a confirmed case | Yes |
Through contact tracing, Homage will be following up with the necessary actions if you are tested positive for COVID-19. Please read the section that best applies to you:
| COVID Positive | Follow up action |
|---|---|
| Care Professionals | If you are a Homage Care Professional (CP) that has tested positive for COVID-19:
|
| Care Owners or Care Recipients who engaged care directly with Homage | If you or your loved ones engaged care directly with Homage:
|
| Care Owners or Care Recipients who engaged care with Homage through a healthcare partner | If you or your loved ones engaged care with Homage through a healthcare partner:
|
If you are identified as close contact to a person that’s tested positive for COVID-19. Please read the section that best applies to you:
| First Degree of Exposure | Follow up action |
|---|---|
| Care Professionals | If you are a Homage Care Professional (CP) that is in close contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19:
|
| Care Owners or Care Recipients who engaged care directly with Homage | If you or your loved ones engaged care directly with Homage:
|
| Care Owners or Care Recipients who engaged care with Homage through a healthcare partner | If you or your loved ones engaged care directly with Homage:
|
Last updated 22 Feb 2022.
Dear All,
In lieu of the revised health protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH), please take note of the following updates on the steps to take if you have tested positive on your Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-test.
Scenario 1: You test positive on your ART test but feel well, or have been assessed by a doctor to have a mild condition
- Immediately stop going to work and cancel your social activities.
- If you fall in any of the categories below, you are recommended to see a doctor* even if you are feeling well:
- Children aged less than 5 years old
- Vaccinated persons aged 70 years and older
- Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated persons aged 50 years and older
- Persons who are/have:
- pregnant;
- on dialysis;
- diagnosed with HIV or AIDS;
- had organ transplant surgery;
- been diagnosed with cancer before;
- any disease or taking medications that weaken the immune system;
- any disease affecting their heart, lungs, kidneys, liver or brain that required hospital admission in the last 6 months.
- Children aged less than 12 years old who have:
- any congenital condition or growth disorder that affects the heart, lung or brain;
- Diabetes Mellitus or Hypertension.
- If you do not fall in any of the above categories, self-isolate for 72 hours at home. You do not need to take a PCR test.
- Take an ART self-test after 72 hours
- Positive result: Continue to self-isolate and self-test until you are negative
- For fully vaccinated individuals and children below 12, you can automatically exit self-isolation on Day 7, 12pm onward
- For partially vaccinated / unvaccinated individuals aged 12 and above, you can automatically exit self-isolation on Day 14, 12pm onward
- Negative result: Submit your results here. Exit self-isolation and resume normal activities.
- Positive result: Continue to self-isolate and self-test until you are negative
*Do visit a doctor via private transport. The doctor will assess and advise you on your next steps and you may still be assessed eligible for recovery at home or you may be conveyed to a care facility. For more information, visit this page.
Scenario 2: You test positive on your ART test and feel unwell
- Immediately stop going to work and cancel your social activities.
- Visit a doctor via private transport. Your doctor will assess and advise you on next steps.
For more information on Covid-19 protocols, please visit MOH’s website here.
Last updated 18 Oct 2021.
Dear All,
In lieu of the revised health protocols introduced by the Ministry of Health, please take note of the following updates on Homage protective measures:
To stay updated with the latest COVID-19 advisories from Homage, please visit our COVID-19 advisory page.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Last updated 20 September 2021.
Dear All,
With the increasing number of COVID-19 community cases in Singapore, your safety is our top priority. At Homage, stringent procedures are carried out to ensure our Care Professionals adhere to the highest health and safety standards.
This includes:
- Mandatory mask-wearing and gloves for all visits
- Additional protective outer covering required for visits with toileting, personal care or hygiene needs
- Good hand hygiene encouraged
- Daily health declarations before applying for care visits
Additionally, Homage implements the following protective protocols for the respective COVID-19 scenarios:
To stay updated with the latest COVID-19 advisories from Homage, please visit our COVID-19 advisory page.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Last updated 9 September 2021.
Dear All,
In order to safeguard the health and and safety of our customers and staff, please take note of the following precautionary measures for home visits with Homage.
If your loved ones or a close contact is COVID-19 positive or has been exposed to others who have been issued Stay Home Notice (SHN), Quarantine Order (QO) or is COVID-19 positive, the following measures apply.
We seek your kind understanding and cooperation in adhering to these measures for the safety of your loved ones and Homage Care Professionals.
To stay updated with the latest COVID-19 advisories from Homage, please visit our COVID-19 advisory page.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Last updated 21 July 2021.
Return to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) Advisory
Dear All,
With reference to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH), please note there will be no disruption to Homage services in homes, community settings and outpatient clinics in accordance with MOH and the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) advisory.
As a MOH-recognised essential service, Homage care staff will not count toward the new national measures of 2 unique household visitors per day.
In line with MOH guidelines, Homage has implemented the following measures:
- Prioritisation of fully vaccinated Care Professionals for care visits
- Regular Antigen Rapid Test (ART) screening
- Thorough screening of Care Professionals before visits
- Tight cross deployment restrictions implemented for Care Professionals
- Mandatory Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) protocols and requirements during service delivery
- COVID-19 vaccinations, swab screening with MOH, continuous monitoring and health declarations
As part of tightened hygiene and safety protocols, we seek your cooperation to declare the following when booking in-person care visits from Homage.
If in the last 14 days you have:
- Been placed on Stay-Home-Notice (SHN), Quarantine Order (QO), phone surveillance (PUPS) or on medical leave (MC)
- Been part of ongoing MOH community surveillance testing for visitors within the stipulated duration to identified venues
- A household member who has been placed on QO or is part of ongoing MOH community surveillance testing for visitors within the stipulated duration to identified venues
- Received a “Health Risk Warning (HRW)” or “Health Risk Alert (HRA)” SMS issued by MOH
- Been displaying symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, coughing or breathlessness
If your answer is YES to any of these, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
Alternatively, you can also reach us by phone at 6100 0055. Our hotline is operational from 9:00am till 9:00pm on weekdays and 9:00am till 6:00pm on weekends and public holidays. A negative ART test result may also be required for care to commence.
You can refer to this list of FAQs for more information. To stay updated with the latest COVID-19 advisories from Homage, please visit our COVID-19 advisory page.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Last updated 18 May 2021.
Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) Advisory
With reference to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH), please note there will be no disruption to Homage services in homes, community settings and outpatient clinics as advised by the MOH and the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC).
As a MOH-recognized essential service, Homage has safely delivered care to our customers throughout Circuit Breaker and we will continue to do so with health and safety as our top priority. This includes the following measures:
- Thorough screening of Care Professionals before visits
- Tight cross deployment restrictions implemented for Care Professionals
- Mandatory Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) protocols and requirements during service delivery
- COVID-19 vaccinations, swab screening with MOH, continuous monitoring and health declarations
As part of tightened hygiene and safety protocols, we seek your cooperation to declare the following when booking in-person care visits from Homage.
If in the last 14 days you have been:
- Notified by MOH that you are deemed a close contact of COVID-19 cases and have been asked to go for a COVID-19 swab test
- Placed on Stay-Home-Notice (SHN), Quarantine Order (QO), phone surveillance (PUPS) or on medical leave (MC)
- Displaying symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, coughing or breathlessness
If your answer is YES to any of these, please notify us immediately at 6100 0055. Our hotline is operational from 9:00am till 9:00pm on weekdays and 9:00am till 6:00pm on weekends and public holidays.
We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide timely updates as and when they are available. Please refer to this COVID-19 advisory page for all future updates.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Last updated 04 May 2021
Advisory on COVID-19 Precautionary Measures
Dear All,
In lieu of the increasing number of community cases and the cluster of infections at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Homage will be implementing tightened hygiene and safety measures to safeguard the health and safety of our families and staff, as per the advisories and updates issued by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on 02 May 2021.
The following outlines the precautionary measures put in place to minimise the risk of community and cross-institutional transmission of COVID-19:
- For Homage Care Professionals impacted by the TTSH cluster,
- Homage Care Professionals serving in the affected wards have been placed in isolation as per MOH regulations and will not be conducting any visits.
- Care Professionals deployed at TTSH will not be conducting any visits with immediate effect.
- Care Professionals who have visited TTSH or its vicinity / or have been in close contact with anyone who has in the past 14 days will not be cleared for visits until a COVID-19 swab test is conducted and a negative result is produced.
- For Care Recipients seeking Homage services who are discharging / have recently been discharged from TTSH, a COVID-19 swab test is required.
Based on the swab test results, the following care arrangements will be implemented:
If you are a Care Recipient who has recently been discharged or will soon be discharged from TTSH, you are required to fill up a health declaration form here. A Homage team member will reach out to you for next steps.
Please note that affected Care Recipients who refuse to undergo a COVID-19 swab test will not be able to book care visits with Homage.
We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide timely updates as and when they are available. Please refer to this COVID-19 advisory page for all future updates.
Thank you.
The Homage team is here to help. If you have any concerns, please contact us via email at [email protected].
Last updated 5 May 2020
Homage’s COVID-19 Response
Dear all,
At Homage, our top priority today remains the continued delivery of safe, quality care to families and care recipients. We would like to reassure families and Care Recipients that home care services provided by Homage will proceed as per normal in homes, community settings and outpatient clinics, where home care remains an essential service from our Ministry of Health (MOH).
As of 7th June 2020, all our Care Professionals actively delivering facility-based care have passed through an internal mass COVID-19 swab testing with zero positive cases, based on test results by the National Public Health Laboratory.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 situation in Singapore, Homage receives regular advisories on care continuity directly from MOH. Our team has been promptly adopting and implementing the required safety measures in order to deliver safe care to families in need within our communities.
Rest assured we are continuously and closely monitoring the status of COVID-19 as the situation evolves, and will adapt our protocols accordingly and swiftly to safeguard our families, care recipients, care professionals, hospital partners and employees. Our current safety measures are described below.
In line with the MOH’s official DORSCON Orange advisory, we have stepped up our safety and screening protocols (pre-, during and post-care visits) for both families, care recipients and Care Professionals.
For Families and Care Recipients
1. Mandatory declaration of health, travel and contact history in a two-level screening process for the care recipient, family members and individuals residing in the same household. The screening will first be conducted through phone and Homage Care App by our Care Advisory team upon booking of any care visits. Another screening will be conducted by Care Specialists and CarePros just before the care visits take place.
2. Care Assessments and/or Care Visits may not be able to proceed if any person(s):
- have symptoms such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, coughing or breathlessness in the last 1 week
(Care Recipients with pre-existing conditions that may result in the above-mentioned symptoms, care assessments and visits may proceed as per normal with a valid doctor’s memo.) - have travelled to other countries in the past 14 days
- have known contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases
- are on Quarantine Order (QO) or Stay-Home Notice (SHN)
- are found to have not declared their health, travel and close contact history truthfully
3. All care services within the accident and emergency department (A&E), in-patient wards, and day surgery centres; as well as Care Experiences will be temporarily halted until further notice to minimise the possibility of community spread.
4. Community Rehabilitation services will cease until further notice; active centre-based rehabilitation clients may be referred to home therapy. Home therapy services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy) will continue with the adherence to the following requirements.
- Each therapist can assist no more than 6 care recipients in a week.
- Each therapy session should not be longer than 1 hour
- Each therapy session will be conducted on a 1-to-1 basis (no group therapy)
5. Families who would like to take additional precautionary measures are advised to have surgical masks for Care Recipients and Care Professionals at the location of the care visit.
6. Real-time escalation and contact tracing protocols are in place in the event of a suspect/confirmed COVID-19 case.
- Ongoing communications with families, care recipients and Care Professionals for any onset of symptoms or close contact history
- History of all care visits (past, present and upcoming) and the Care Professionals assigned are stored in our central database for easy retrieval and tracing where necessary
For Homage Care Professionals
1. Mandatory health, travel and close contact history declaration before application of care visits and at the start of every care visit from their Homage Care Professional app. Care Professionals found to have not declared their health, travel and close contact statuses truthfully will face immediate suspension and not be allowed to deliver care till further notice.
2. Care Professionals will not be allowed to deliver care for the next 14 days or until they fulfil the respective order / stay-home notice (SHN) with a clean bill of health if they:
- have symptoms such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, coughing or breathlessness in the last 1 week
- have travelled to other countries in the past 14 days
- have known contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases
- are on Quarantine Order (QO) or Stay-Home Notice (SHN)
3. Care Professionals who are assigned to support our hospital partners will not be assigned to provide home care for families until further notice to minimise the possibility of community spread.
4. Care Professionals are advised to maintain good personal hygiene and strict infection control practices. They will receive a reminder at the start of every visit to:
- Wear Personal Protective Gear (PPE)
1. a surgical mask at all times when delivering care
2. a apron and gloves (for procedures with potential exposure to blood/body fluids) - Bring along hand sanitisers and gloves for care visits
- Wash your hands with soap before, during and after visits. Follow the 7 steps of handwashing
- Minimise direct physical contact with care recipients where possible
For Care Professionals assigned to healthcare facilities, they will also required to abide by the safety protocols of the respective facility.
5. Real-time escalation and contact tracing protocols are in place in the event of a suspect/confirmed COVID-19 case.
- Ongoing communications with Care Professionals for any onset of symptoms or close contact history
- History of all care visits (past, present and upcoming) and the Care Professionals assigned are stored in our central database for easy retrieval and tracing where necessary
The team here at Homage are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and following the latest MOH’s advisories and updates closely in order to provide quality care in adherence with the guidelines. We would like to seek your cooperation in adhering to these safety protocols to ensure a safe visit for both the Care Recipients and Care Professionals.
As a valued member of our community, we appreciate your understanding and believe these measures will help in minimising the impact of associated health risks of COVID-19.
In this critical time, our continued care and support for our residents in their daily living and wellbeing, meeting their nursing and healthcare needs becomes more essential than ever. We will continue to stay true to our mission, in both good and more challenging times.
You may reach us at our hotline 61000055 should you require further assistance. The hotline operating hours are from 9:00am till 9:00pm on weekdays and 9:00am till 6:00pm on weekends and on public holidays. If you would like to communicate your responses or enquiries via email, please send them to [email protected].
