As we continue to get back to work in the practices we are so passionate about, we are adapting to our new normal in the time of COVID-19 as practitioners, and continuing to help our clients/patients adjust as well!
While it feels incredible to be back to practice, there have been many changes put into place both in our facilities and with our hands-on treatments such as; limiting the number of people in the space at one time, social distancing where possible, limiting seating/lingering for clients and of course our new increased cleaning/sanitizing protocols. Of course we can’t forget the ever present face masks!
While the intention and nature of treatment in our clinic remains the same (providing our community with the highest standard in whole wellness), our ability to easily and clearly verbally communicate or even communicate with our normal facial expressions (now hidden behind masks) is difficult to say the least! Try saying “hello and welcome” without a handshake (we are getting good at toe tapping and elbow bumping) or a warm, friendly smile (cue the wide eyes!) to make people feel at home and comfortable. Even the usual additional conversation time pre/post treatment is limited by the practitioners need to get many more things accomplished now between clients.
While we have always held high standards of care, the new normal in cleaning, sanitizing, charting and additional waivers/pre-screening, etc. has left practitioners with little flex time. Add in the constant mask wearing (we can’t very well socially distance and treat our clients hands on), face shields, goggles, aprons over our clothes, no heating pads etc. and it all feels very strange for practitioners and clients alike! Now, it could feel like there’s a bit of a disconnect between us: both as practitioners and as co-workers, as well as between us and our clients, but thank goodness, we are THRIVE and masks, goggles, aprons and face shields can’t stop us from oozing with care for each other and our community 🙂
As Health Care Professionals, we don’t for a second begrudge the new standards or question their legitimacy but we do miss the days of clients seeing our welcoming smile and not just our eyes trying desperately to let them know how happy we are to see them! We aren’t happy that more time committed to additional sanitizing procedures, cleaning logs and pre-screening means treating fewer clients each day and less flex time with those we do see. We miss the natural, unspoken messages that clients facial expressions would give us with regards to treatment, and now more than ever we need to have clear verbal communication, which in itself is proving difficult sometimes with varying masks styles and plexiglass boundaries. In addition, the fear around the unknown of COVID-19 has understandably increased some peoples anxiety levels and made some clients avoid booking hands on wellness appointments, despite the lengths we are going to for the health and safety of our team and community. So many additional hurdles and a strange new reality.
But we love what we do and while we shift and evolve in mastering this new normal, we recognize and sympathize that you too as clients, are shifting and evolving and continuing to place your utmost trust in us as your Health Care Professionals, to continue to provide you with the best care and also now to provide you with a “COVID safe”, but still welcoming, place to do so. We are becoming more and more efficient and effective with our new standards and as we do so, we know that we will be able to carve out additional time for more conversation, more connection and eventually, more clients! Until then, please know that our “crazy eyes” are just because we are so happy to see you and that we are continually grateful that you place your wellness in the hands of our very capable team.
Haven’t been in to see us yet? Now’s a great time to join our #thrivecommunity! We offer Chiropractic care, Manual Osteopathy, Registered Massage Therapy and Registered Psychotherapy.
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