Email sent to our clients May 28, 2020
Dear clients,
We hope this email finds you all well.
We apologize for the length of this email but want you to know the changes we are making to our respective practices to keep us all safe as possible during COVID-19.
The Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) of which we are members, has established a set of protocols based on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.
ABMP also notes that since we have no cure, vaccine, reliable antibody tests or other interventions, such new protocols are necessary. Even so, there is no guarantee clients or practitioners will come away unscathed.
Following are the practices we are implementing at this time. We welcome your comments, on these measures and suggestions about other measures we might take to enhance the safety of us all.
Treatment Room & Office Readiness
We will be replacing the upholstered bench that was in the office with a metal bench that can be cleaned between each client and we will be removing the carpet. We will place a towel or bathmat on the floor at the end of the session for you to step on. This towel or bathmat will be washed along with the table linens after each session.
We will be replacing the soap dispenser and paper towel dispenser with a sensor soap pump and countertop towel dispenser.
We will have envelopes for cash in order for us practitioners to not touch cash until the end of the day.
We will have a no touch thermometer for practitioners to take their temperatures daily and to take client temperatures upon their arrival.
We will have a non-permeable mattress pad which will cover the fleece pad table warmer and non-permeable pillow covers.
We will have a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air purifier with UltraViolet C light.
We will throw discard magazines and mints.
We will have a pedestal near the door with paper towel dispenser and hand sanitizer.
We will have wet wipes, hand sanitizer and masks available. At the moment, these being in short supply, that may mean limiting the number of appointments based on supplies. If you have your own mask, please arrive wearing it.
We will also have a diffuser with food grade hydrogen peroxide and essential oil to clean the air.
Business Practices
We will have staggered appointment times allowing time necessary between clients for cleaning per the new protocols.
Prior to each appointment, you will be asked: “Have you had a fever in the last 24 hours of 100°F or above? Have you recently had, any respiratory or flu symptoms, cough, fever, sore throat, chills, headache, shortness of breath, or new loss of taste or smell? Have you been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or has coronavirus-type symptoms? If the answer is yes to any of these, we will ask you to reschedule with no penalty.
We will share with you how we are doing health-wise as well.
The new normal will be to limit “table talk”, limit talking before and after session and avoid handshaking and hugging.
Pre-Session Interaction
We will have a supplemental intake form for everyone to sign before each session. The language is as follows:
“Have you had a fever in the last 24 hours of 100° F or above?
Do you now, or have you recently had, any respiratory or flu symptoms, cough, fever, sore throat, chills, headache, shortness of breath, or new loss of taste or smell?
Have you been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or has coronavirus-type symptoms?
I understand that, because massage therapy work involves maintained touch and close physical proximity over an extended period of time, there may be an elevated risk of disease transmission, including COVID-19. By signing this form, I acknowledge that I am aware of the risks involved and give consent to receive massage and bodywork from this practitioner.”
The supplemental intake form is available on our websites to download and print before the appointment.
If the answer to any of the questions is yes, you will be asked to reschedule without penalty.
If you wake up with cold or flu symptoms and need to cancel on the day of, please notify as soon as possible.
Do you have a mask you can wear? If so, please arrive wearing mask. If not, we will provide one for you. We the practitioners will be wearing a mask. During the face up portion of the massage, we ask that you wear the mask. During the face down portion of the massage, if wearing the mask is uncomfortable, we will loosely fit a pillowcase in the cradle leaving a large hammock type pocket underneath.
In Session Protocols
We the practitioners will take our temperature at the beginning of everyday.
We will avoid handshakes and hugging.
We will eliminate casual conversation and remain in minimal necessary in session conversation mode through the duration of the session.
We ask that your wash hands upon arrival.
Post-Session
If we become ill, we will inform clients we have seen during the previous two weeks. If you should become ill up to two weeks after you have seen us, please let us know.
Administration
You can now go online to book appointments or contact us via text to make an appointment. There is a window of time allotted between appointments for cleaning protocols, but we may ask to shift your appointment by 15 minutes if additional time is needed between appointments.
Upon seeing new appointments on our books, we will contact you to discuss pertinent information.
If any of you have supplies of wipes, bleach, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, masks and can spare any, any donation would be appreciated.
Wearing a mask while working will be difficult and we may need to incorporate more time between appointments. We ask for your patience and understanding.
Hanna and Marie-Noelle