I wanted to do a little guide this week to visiting the home and what plans we have in place for future visits and moving into the new normal way of life.
Our first stage of reintroducing visits is the socially distanced garden visits, I’m sure by now many of you are familiar with these.
Garden visits have been happening for around the last month, currently the guidelines for this are as follows:
** All visits will take place outside **
** At the current time we are only allowing two family members to visit any one resident. This will be the same two family members until the end of July when we will review **
** Unfortunately at this time we will not be allowing children to visit - Again we will review the risk at the end of June **
** No physical contact allowed, and a minimum distance of 2 meters must be maintained at all times **
** Bookings will only be 2 a day, one at 1030 and one at 1400 there will be a 30 minute time limit **
** A staff member to be present at all time **
** Please wear a face mask at all times **
** Please do not visit if you have been in contact with anyone who has symptoms, or is being tested for COVID-19 **
We are having the same two family members to help us not only limit the number of people coming to he home but also to help us ‘Track and Trace’ if the worst was to happen, we know who has been at the home and can contact them instantly, just to be cautious.
Bookings have been subject to the weather, however early this week we have a big marquee coming! As soon as we can get this set up it will help enable us to carry out more visits despite the weather.
We decided to take this approach towards visits as we feel it is it in the resident’s best interests that we re introduce family contact. Currently it has been over 14 weeks since we have had outside visitors in the home, this is a HUGE amount of time not see family members and we felt the risk of wellbeing being compromised was greater than the risk of contracting Covid-19 from a family member with the above measures in place.
These measures will stay in place until at least the 1st August when current government guidelines stipulate that the Shielding will be paused. We will then review the situation, read the new guidelines and review our visiting policies.
As a management team we have began to look at a number of things ready to accommodate indoors visits when the time is right. Some of the things we have looked at are:
** The transformation of indoor areas, currently we are thinking of transforming the beauty parlour downstairs and have looked at Perspex screens to add to the area to help enable this to happen **
** Temperature checks of all family members **
** Signage forms to state that you have not had symptoms or been in contact with someone with symptoms**
If you have any ideas for areas, we could transform please do let us know! We are hoping we have a lovely Summer, weather wise, and can continue to have visits outdoors with the help of the marquee. In the mean time we continue to look at ways we can transform indoor areas and look forward to the days we can invite you back into the home, whether that be for a big Thank you Party, Greek meal night or Christmas fayre.
**Please see guide published in September for updated guidelines on visits**
