AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2009 AFH "Dear Provider" Letters

Original Issue Date May 22, 2009
Updated June 10, 2009

ADSA:  AFH #2009-005
INFLUENZA RESOURCES

Dear Adult Family Home Provider:

As you may have heard in the news, there has been a lot of talk about a particular influenza called “swine” flu (H1N1 Virus).  The purpose of this letter is to provide you with resources to get more information and to remind you of your reporting responsibilities.

The Washington Department of Health continues to be the lead agency in working with infectious diseases.  Please remember to contact your local health department if you have an outbreak of any type of influenza.  According to the DOH an outbreak is two or more residents coming down with influenza symptoms within a short time frame, indicating a problem with the home’s infection control system.  Residents that come down with similar symptoms two to three weeks apart would not be counted as an outbreak.    

Both the Department of Health (DOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have websites dedicated to the topic of H1N1.  For further information, please go to:

Department of Health:  http://www.doh.wa.gov/swineflu/default.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/index.htm

We have updated our DSHS internet website under “Professionals & Providers”, to include the above resource links:  http://www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/professional/afh.htm

As always, some of the best ways to reduce the spread of the infection are effective and frequent hand-washing, as well as staying home if you or your residents do not feel well. 
Thank you for your attention to this issue.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services