Hello Nantucket Wellness Community,

I believe that each of us wants only the best for our clients and our own health and safety as we begin the process of re-opening in this COVID-19 era. I want to thank everyone who contributed feedback to this working document which will help make wellness services safer for everyone on Nantucket.

I know that many of practice our wellness disciplines in different environments and therefor this will not perfectly match each of our situation, it can still serve as a helpful reference point. Please feel free to send comments to me at Brandon(@)LavenderFarmwellness.com.

Best,
Brandon Jellison

These are a few of the resources that we particularly helpful in assembling these protocols

• Safety Standards and Checklist: Close Contact Personal Services: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safety-standards-and-checklist-close-contact-personal-services

• Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards Guidelines: https://www.fsmtb.org/

• Massachusetts Chapter American Massage Therapy Association Guidelines: https://www.amtamassage.org/about/news/covid-19-resources-for-massage-therapists/

•  EPA Guidelines for approved cleaning protocols and products: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2

Social Distancing

• 6 feet between team members and clients, except when performing service.

• Our waiting area allows for 3 clients while maintaining social distancing, others will be asked to wait out side

• Signage for social distancing.

• Prioritizing online and touch-less payments.

• Stagger booking times between treatment rooms to reduce the number of clients in the common areas at a given time. 

• Face covering will be required for all guests and team members, surgical masks or kn95, no cloth masks.

• No guests of clients will be allowed to wait in the waiting area.

Hygiene Protocols

• Provide hand washing and sanitization stations for employees

• Promote frequent hand washing through signage

• Regularly sanitize high touch areas between appointments

  • Doorknobs, light switches, treatment rooms, restrooms, workstations

Staffing and Operations

• Provide training for all team members regarding social distancing.

• Upon entering LFW office all guests and team members will be given hand sanitizer, a mask (if they don’t have one on), and had their temperature taken with an infrared thermometer. Team members will have their temperatures logged as well as their heart rate and their O2 saturation %.

  • All clients and team members with temperatures above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be rescheduled and not charged for services or change fees

  • Follow CDC’s protocols for working with the public

  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/pandemic-preparedness-workplace-and-americans-disabilities-act

• PPE therapists must wear gloves, gown or smocks, and eye protection.

• Pre-arrival online waiver forms for patients to complete before arrival, that include the agreement to be notified if they become symptomatic in the 14 days after their appointment. The Federation of State Massage Boards has some great sample language for waivers.

• Increase buffer times between appointments to 30 minutes for cleaning and decreasing the number of people in the common areas of office at one time.

• Stagger room booking times between treatment rooms to start either on the :00, :15, :30, and :45

• When an active employee is symptomatic, send them home until they are fever and symptom free for 72 hours and and encourage them to go to the hospital for testing.

• No sampling of retail products or toys for children in the waiting area.

• Since our services happen within 6ft and for longer than 15 minutes. Contact tracing is in effect and clients will be notified and identities will remain confidential all staff and clients except the Workplace Coordinator.

• Mobile Massage services

  • The therapist must where a surgical or kn95 mask

  • Used sheets will be transported in separate clear trash bags.

  • Hands will be washed before and after sessions.

Cleaning and disinfecting protocols

• Declutter the entire office so that surfaces can easily be cleaned.

• Make alcohol-based hand sanitizer available in each room

• HEPA air filters in each of the rooms and waiting area.

• Open the windows between sessions when possible

• Between client’s appointments disinfect high-touch surfaces between clients with EPA-registered disinfectant; massage table, doorknobs, light switches, client chair, end tables, etc… You’ll be surprised how many familiar brands are on the list; Clorox, Scrubbing bubbles, and Windex to name a few.

• Daily cleaning and sanitation protocol of the office; Treatment rooms, Bathroom, Common areas, Kitchenette and back of the reception

• Weekly professional deep clean of the entire office using EPA-registered disinfectants.

• When an active employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, then a deep professional cleaning and disinfecting protocol must be performed before re-opening to the public.

• Follow the recommended cleaning guidelines of the State Federation of Massage Boards.

Team safety

• Travel to Massachusetts and Nantucket

  • 14 days isolation in Massachusetts per Governor’s recommendation

  • COVID-19 testing at NCH upon arrival on Nantucket

  • Isolation until the test results are back.

  • How to keep staff safe and healthy during their time on Nantucket?

• Regular temperature testing

• Face masks during appointments

• Stagger appointment transition times to 30min at the office and 1 hour for home appointments to allow clients time to leave, then wipe down, and prepare for next appointment.

• What if someone gets infected?

  • Send them home and encourage them to get tested.

  • Contact the local department of health.

  • Wait until they are fever free for 72 hours

  • Wait for respiratory symptoms to improve

  • Contact trace and notify individual with more than 15 min of exposure within 6 feet of contact over the prior 14 days.

• Follow up-to-date CDC and Massachusetts requirements and recommendations.