MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Editor's Note: This story has been updated.
James Floyd knows the importance of house calls. It's part of why he co-founded Manatee Senior Care in 2019, months before the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation.
“Right now, in medicine, there’s little islands of care. These islands sometimes don’t talk to each other. We are going to get rid of that,” Floyd said.
What he and his co-owner Milande David couldn’t have predicted was just how big of a need it would become.
“Prior to this [virus] we probably received 10 calls a day and now we’re receiving 30 a day,” David said.
Floyd says the majority of their patients are the elderly, who are most at risk of suffering negative health outcomes due to coronavirus.
“This is exactly the age group that is not supposed to be out and about right now,” Floyd said. “They are supposed to be staying home and practice social distancing and most of them are aware of this and that leads to anxiety about leaving the home.”
Even with the coronavirus looming, Floyd still wants to be there for his patients and is taking the precautions necessary to continue house calls.
“We are very cautious of each other when I come in,” Floyd says talking about his patients. “I come in with a mask and gloves and usually a fresh coat, keeping distance when we can and we examine when we have to.”
If there is a chance you have COVID-19 or encountered someone who does, David says they can still provide care to patients via telemedicine. David says you’ll get an email with a link. Once you click the link Floyd will be able to assess you.
If technology isn’t your friend but you have the ability to use Facetime, David says they can do that, too.
Manatee Senior Care doesn't just offer at-home service, Floyd will go with you to the hospital or nursing home. It's a need that’s growing as the virus spreads; and it’s a service that won’t stop in the Manatee/Sarasota area.
Floyd and David encourage everyone to look for the positive in this dark time and want the community to know they are only a phone call away.
“Hang in there! I think there is an end in sight. We don’t know when it is, but it’s not going to last forever,” Floyd said. “We will go back to normal eventually.”
“And that we are all in this together,” David said.
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