These guidelines were sent to us by Sandra Greenstone, cohousing and community consultant, and founder of co-livingresources.com
SET UP TASKFORCE
ROLE: Manage the process, work with local public health officials, and communicate best practices to reduce exposure and spread.
MEMBERS: Operator, Community Manager, Communicator (include input from residents)
IDENTIFY MEDICAL RESOURCES AND BEST PRACTICES IN YOUR AREA
Follow CDC guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/) for containment and prevention which include:
- Avoid shaking hands and other forms of greeting contact
- Maintain an approximate 6-foot radius when meeting with others
- Stay in your room if you are ill and follow your local health dept. recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html
- Influencer Study: If you encounter neighbors in common areas please feel free to ask them “Did you wash your hands when you came in? The neighbor responds “Thank you I will” and then they wash their hands whether they had previously done so or not. This study was found to be tremendously effective in the Spectrum Health System by increasing hand washing compliance from 50% to 90%.
COMMUNICATE
- The Community manager will send frequent updates so resident stay informed.
- Residents should inform the community manager if they have symptoms or have tested positive for the virus. We trust that all members will act responsibly.
- Propose the following communication template to remove any shame/blame around this issue. Inform your neighbors that you will be self-quarantine until further notice. Response from neighbor will be “Thanks for letting me know”. Is there anything I/we can do to help?
MAINTAINING SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION
The Community Manager will host:
10:00 ZOOM COFFEE HOUR
7:00 ZOOM HAPPY HOUR
TRAVELERS
Reminder: If any resident has traveled in recent weeks, make sure they are up-to-date on our recent health and safety agreements before they return to our Co-living Community.
HOW TO GET FOOD DURING THE PANDEMIC
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-how-get-food-safely/608008/
LARGE GROUPS
CDC Guideline - CDC is recommending limiting groups to less than 10 FOR EIGHT WEEKS.
Sandra Greenstone
Consulting with Operators and Community Managers to create and sustain vibrant, resilient Co-living Communities. With over 20 years of community building experience, Sandra Greenstone engages with coliving leadership to build and maintain a healthy co-living social environment and culture.
