Covid-19 – Updated visiting arrangements for care homes 22nd February 2022

Covid-19 – Updated visiting arrangements for care homes

22nd February 2022

The wellbeing and safety of our residents and staff remains our most important priority, as it has been throughout the pandemic. We also want to keep all visitors to our care homes as safe as possible.

We have continued to monitor changes in guidance from Government and Local Authorities in each of the areas that we operate and in particular noted the Government’s announcement on 21st February 2022 of it plans to live with COVID within England. It is currently unclear how the Government intends this change in approach to apply to care homes and whether there will also be a revised approach in Wales. However, the Government has committed to publish updated infection prevention and control guidance relevant to care homes by 1st April 2022.

In the intervening period until this updated guidance has been published, we want to remind family members and friends that we are able to support visiting for everyone. We know how important visiting is to you and our residents.

Until further guidance is provided, there do remain some important day to day differences within our care homes compared to prior to the pandemic and compared to everyday life outside of care homes. We have set out below some key guidelines to continue to be followed which will ensure that visits can be conducted safely for the benefit of all residents, family, friends and staff:

• Residents are no longer required to have nominated or named visitors;
• All friends and family (including children) can visit. In order that visits can continue to be facilitated safely and comfortably, we suggest that only two visitors attend at any one time;
• All visitors must undertake a Lateral Flow Test on the day of and prior to their resident visit. The result of this test must be negative and registered on the gov.uk website.
• Our preference remains that all visitors complete their Lateral Flow Test, and register this, before arrival at the care home. This will enable visitors to show their confirmation email or text message on arrival. If necessary we can test you at the care home but this will incur a 30-minute wait before entry;
• All visitors must continue to undertake a risk assessment and have their temperature taken;
• All visits should continue to be booked in advance using our online booking portal where possible, so that our staff can support the visits and ensure all the relevant checks are completed before each visit;
• Visitors must continue to wear face masks at all times;
• Visiting can take place in the resident’s bedroom or designated visiting area. Visits in communal areas such as the lounges and dining room cannot be facilitated at this current time;
• Visitors must not visit if they are currently self-isolating, have tested positive or experienced symptoms of Covid-19 in the past 14 days.

Residents are also now able to leave the care home without the need to isolate on their return as long activities and contact outside of the care home are not deemed to be “high risk”. Any high-risk visits will require a risk assessment to be completed. All residents are still required to undertake a monthly PCR test and a PCR test is required for any resident who is showing symptoms of Covid-19.

There will continue to be situations where the local Public Health Team close one of our homes to general indoor visiting and also external visits out of the care home due to an outbreak. This may result in visits being cancelled at short notice, but we will do our best to give as much notice as possible. In these circumstances only the nominated Essential Care Giver will be allowed to visit. The Essential Care Giver will be required to undertake Lateral Flow Tests and follow the same process as our staff in the care homes.

Our staff in England are now required to take a Lateral Flow Test prior to every shift and are no longer required to take a weekly PCR test. Our staff in Wales continue to take 2 Lateral Flow Tests per week and a weekly PCR.

Whilst we appreciate there are still some protocols to follow in order to reduce the risk of transmission to residents, visitors and our staff, we hope that you will continue to support our staff in adhering to this guidance. We will continue to monitor updated Government guidance for care homes.

We know how much our residents enjoy seeing their loved ones, and you seeing them, and we would like to thank you again for your continuing patience and understanding.

If you have any questions, please speak to the Home Manager in the first instance or email [email protected]

Karen Harkin

Chief Operating Officer