youcare. wecare. akaricare.

Update on Akari Care’s response to COVID 19 (Coronavirus) 18 March 2020

Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Following recent changes to Government guidance, we are updating and revising our policies in relation to visitors to our care homes. We are revising these policies in order to seek to maintain the current and continuing safety of our residents, staff and visitors.

Families and friends

Effective from now (18 March 2020) our care homes will be closed to families and friends for all non-essential visits.

We are putting in place facilities within each of our care homes to enable remote contact with our residents via video call through Skype or WhatsApp. Facilities for telephone calls are already in place. Alternatively, our staff would be pleased to support our residents with letter writing.

Our care homes will continue to permit visits to residents in exceptional circumstances including any of our residents who are being supported on the end of life pathway. However, admission to our care homes must be arranged directly with the Home Manager or person in charge by telephone only.

Please be reassured that this decision has not been taken lightly but in the best interests of our residents and staff.

Health and social care professionals

Visiting health and social care professionals will continue to be welcome to visit our care homes for essential visits, but must carefully follow instructions set out on notices within our care homes and provided by our staff.

Non-essential visits must be postponed until such time as we can be confident that the risk to our residents and staff has materially reduced.

Protecting our residents and staff

We continue to operate a number of safety measures to protect our residents and staff from COVID 19.

All permitted visitors to our homes must carefully follow instructions set out on notices within our care homes and provided by our staff. These notices are being updated as guidance changes and it is important that all visitors to our homes carefully review these notices prior to entering our care homes. Any visitor who refuses to adhere to the instructions provided will not be permitted to enter our care homes.

Under no circumstances should you visit one of our homes if you currently feel unwell, have displayed any of the following symptoms or have had contact with anyone displaying these symptoms:

  • Cough; or
  • Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath; or
  • Fever or high temperature.

The prevention and reduction of risks of infection for both residents and staff remains our current priority.

It is of critical importance that all permitted visitors to our care homes wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately on entering our care homes. If for any reason soap and water are not available, then hand sanitiser gel may be used instead. All visitors must continue to practice good hand hygiene during the course of visits to our care homes including regularly washing their hands during their visits and prior to leaving the care home.

We are in the process of deploying additional hygiene procedures in our homes and we will ask any permitted visitors to allow our staff to spray your hands, face and clothing with a water based liquid to further manage infection risks within our homes. This solution is non-harmful to skin or clothing but gives greater assurance that infection risks are being managed.

We will continue to review our procedures on a day to day basis, based on advice and guidance received. We will update our website with any significant changes to these procedures.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Home Manager or person in charge by telephone in the first instance and we will keep you updated with any further developments. Alternatively, please contact us by email at [email protected]

Thank you for your support and understanding.

 

Karen Harkin

Chief Operating Officer