We are monitoring Government advice around local lockdowns and we will highlight any specific care home changes for each area should they arise. Please speak to the Home Manager for local updates.
Will I have to self-isolate in my care home bedroom if I come to your home during the pandemic?
We have given this a great deal of thought and, having spoken to many families, have made the decision to offer families two options.
New residents can either self-isolate in the comfort of their own home for 11 days, then join us in the care home where they will be tested for Covid-19 and supported to self-isolate for 3 more days until the result of the test is known.
Alternatively, new residents can come to the care home immediately where we will support you to self-isolate in your bedroom for a period of 14 days, during which time you will be tested for Covid-19.
For our families and homes in Scotland who are following Scottish government advice, please contact the home directly.
Why do new residents have to self-isolate before coming to stay in a care home?
It is known that people can carry the Covid-19 virus and never develop symptoms but unwittingly pass the virus to others. By self-isolating all new residents for 14 days (whether in their own home or ours) we are minimising the risk of spreading the virus.
How do I self-isolate at home?
We understand that the thought of self-isolation can be daunting and one of our team will make telephone contact with you throughout your self-isolation period to see how it’s going and answer any questions you may have.
If you live alone, you will need to ensure that while you’re self-isolating at home, you don’t leave the house and don’t have visitors. If somebody needs to come into your home and their visit is essential, you should maintain the two metre social distancing rule and your visitor should wear a face covering. If you have carers coming into your home, they should routinely be wearing a face mask, gloves and apron.
If there are other people in your household:
- You should stay in a well ventilated room on your own with the door closed if this is possible
- You should avoid close contact with other household members and maintain the two metre social distancing rule if contact with them is unavoidable
- Use a separate bathroom if possible
- If the bathroom is shared, you should be the first person to use the bathroom each day and it must be cleaned thoroughly after anybody has used it
- Use your own towels
- You should eat your meals in your room.
More information on how to self-isolate can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
How will I be able to view the home and my new bedroom?
We are following the government’s advice and have made the difficult decision to minimise visits, only allowing emergency medical visits and pre-booked socially distanced family visits outside at the current time. This means our usual ‘show-around’ of the home cannot happen in the usual way. We can however, use our iPads to give you and your loved one a virtual tour of the home and the bedroom. During your virtual tour we can tell you about mealtimes, activities in the home, introduce you to some staff and give you a flavour of day to day life.
How will you do the care assessment during Covid-19?
All new residents have a pre-admission assessment to ensure we have a full understanding of care needs, personality, likes and dislikes. During the Covid-19 pandemic these will be conducted via Facetime, Skype, Zoom or telephone – preferably with the prospective resident and somebody else present.
What will happen on the day of admission into the care home during Covid-19?
On the day of admission you can bring your loved one to the home but unfortunately we can only allow the resident to enter the home. We understand this is an extremely emotional time but we hope you understand that the safety of all in the home is paramount. All new residents joining the care home during the Covid-19 pandemic will need to isolate in their room for the first 14 days of their stay if they have not self-isolated at home first or 3 days if they have. This is to ensure they do not begin to display symptoms of the virus and put others at risk. All new residents will be tested for Covid-19.
During this period we encourage you to stay in touch with your loved one via the phone and social media. We have iPads in the home and will help your loved ones with video calls if preferred. Our residents really value the letters, posters and messages of encouragement from friends and the community and they certainly bring a smile to the staffs’ faces during this time. It’s heartening to see the resilience and steadfastness of our home families at the moment and would like to reassure you that even though these times are certainly strange, your loved one will be cared for and will build relationships and make new friends in the home over time. There are lots of examples of home-life during the pandemic on our news page.