Good Afternoon Everyone,
We hope that you are all well and enjoying a bit of sunshine after the storm at the weekend.
I have held off my update from last week until guidance had been announced, I’m really pleased to share the following with you all:
The update states ……
· Care home residents are allowed five named visitors from today as part of government lockdown easing measures.
· Along with an increase in visitors per resident from two to five residents, restrictions on trips out of care homes are also being eased by the government.
· Residents are now able to go to medical appointments, a workplace, educational setting and day centres without having to self-isolate on their return.
· Visits will also be paused for a minimum of 14 days rather than 28 days following an outbreak.
Addressing care staff last week ahead of the lockdown easing, Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:
“17th May will be a happy day for many residents, families and care staff I’m sure. While we must remain cautious, observe social distancing in most situations, and take all necessary precautions, the emotional boost from spending more time with our loved ones will feel like the best medicine.
“Of course, ending or easing restrictions doesn’t mean the end of precautions. We must remember care homes are a community, so any risk needs to be assessed for all residents. Visits out of care homes must be planned in consultation with residents, families and care home managers, subject to testing requirements and risk assessments.
“With our continued vigilance, I hope by the time summer is well and truly here, visiting will be close to normal.”
From a Hendra point of view, this is great news. Therefore over the next week, key workers will be asking residents and families of who they would like added to the list of close contact.
Also, a big thank you to the families that have accessed their LFD vis their own resources due to ours being delayed.
Some families have access to LFD through their health or social care roles. Others have used the link below to order. We have found that by doing these and allowing the staff at Hendra to see the confirmation email, with the date of the visit on is saving you all time waiting 25 minutes.
https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
We had our residents meeting today, which went very well. They have helped plan the next month’s activities and felt open to talk information of others. An after session was held where residents could come and chat with me to give further feedback if they felt they wanted to.
I’d like to thank you all for your help and support as ever, and as always, if you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact myself or Vince.
Lindsay, Vince and all of Team Hendra