Further good news for care home visits
Care home residents will each be able to meet 2 regular visitors indoors from 12th April, thanks to a further easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
5 weeks on from the recommencement of care home visits, this latest step on the path out of lockdown is a welcome progression for care home residents who no longer have to make the agonising choice of picking just one loved one to visit them. We have seen the sheer joy on the faces of our residents at being able to see loved ones again, without a screen between them. The wellbeing benefits of this cannot be overstated, and this latest news will bring an additional boost to our residents and our care teams.
In order to protect residents and visitors, the existing government guidelines around PPE and rapid (LFT) testing will remain in place. This means that visitors will need to receive a negative result to their rapid test before entering the home for their pre-booked visit, and will need to wear full PPE throughout. Once inside, up to 2 nominated visitors can spend time indoors with a resident, and can hold hands if they choose, but should avoid any closer physical contact. They will need to remain socially distanced from other residents and care home staff.
This welcome increase in permitted care home visitors coincides with the re-opening of non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality on 12th April, after the government's four key criteria (including the vaccination rollout) were met. All of our residents and care home staff have been offered the Covid-19 vaccine, and many have now received their second dose. This makes our homes the safest they have ever been in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Please do not worry if you have not yet received your Covid-19 vaccine, as this isn't a requirement of your visit.
We look forward to welcoming more visitors back to our homes, and seeing more smiles on our residents' faces.
Please contact the care home directly to make arrangements for your visit. You can find information and contact details here.