Indoor visits to resume in our dedicated visitor centreThe pandemic has brought a “new normal” and changed the way we all live and work. Indoor visiting was suspended since March 2020 (with certain exceptions) but we have been fortunate to permit outdoor visits in the garden under the gazebo till middle of September when outdoor visits too were suspended due to the All Wales firebreak lockdown.
We listened to the views of our residents and family members and felt it is important to resume family visits in a safer and conducive environment. We are still reluctant to permit visitors into the home, except in special circumstances, due to a high prevalence of Covid-19 cases in the community.
We have come up with a suitable weatherproofed building in the garden with heating, lighting and ventilation quickly. This now enables us to safely resume family visits during the autumn/winter months. This in effect gives all comfort of “indoor visit” but outdoors.
Threat from Second Wave!
Though Brightside remains free from Covid-19, we cannot drop our guard down but continue to maintain strict measures and social distancing as far as possible and practicable. The home continues to implement robust infection prevention and control measures. Staff training is tailored to suit our setting and all visitors are asked to comply with our control procedures.
Visiting Professionals
District Nurses, Doctors and other health professionals may enter the premises upon production of their ID and wearing your own appropriate PPE. We will provide disposable shoe covering and any additional PPE as required. Please ensure staff escort you to see your patient/resident by the shortest route possible to minimise contact with others.
UPDATE TO OUR VISITING ARRANGEMENTS BY FAMILES (16 November 2020)
Care Home is the Residents’ HomeWe recognise that moving into and staying in a care home is a big step and we strive to ensure “home from home” atmosphere to our residents. This also has an impact on their partners and families. The residents should be able to welcome and see their loved ones when it is safe and convenient for them to do so. Such visits are added bonus to the mental health and general well-being of the residents. It also helps to “brighten up” their day at Brightside.
What are the restrictions?All visits will be strictly by appointment and has to be booked either on-line (
booking form) or by telephone 029-2040 8005. Visitors will need to undergo our risk assessment and comply with our safety procedures:
-Complete a health check questionnaire in advance and re confirm on arrival
-Undertake temperature check and wear facial masks and other personal protection equipment (PPE) as required
-Time limited to 30 minutes, ideally one visitor, or maximum two visitors from the same household, per resident at a time.
-Children are not permitted to visit at present
-Initially one visit per week and a total of two visits per resident from different members of the family in order to safely and fairly manage the visits.
-Visits to take place Monday to Friday (11AM-3PM) due to operational reasons. Exceptions made in extenuating circumstances to permit weekend visits.
-Visitors expected to arrive with face coverings but will be required to wear surgical masks (supplied) on entry and remove on exit. Must use hand sanitiser on entry and exit.
What can go wrong?Visits by family and friends will be suspended when one or more of the following conditions prevail:
1) Imposition of nationwide or local lockdown by the Welsh Government;
2) Decision or recommendation by the local Incident Management Team (IMT) coordinated by statutory agencies to suspend care home visits;
3) When a Covid-19 or other infectious disease outbreak occurs in the home;
4) Decision made by the Responsible Individual of the home based on emerging evidence and rigorous risk assessment to protect residents and staff and to prevent/ minimise risk of an outbreak.
What are the exceptions to visiting rules?Our strict rules are modified to permit indoor visit to take place in a resident’s bedroom during end of life care. Such exceptions will made on a case by case basis by the home’s manager and the visitors will be given full PPE and expected to comply with our safety procedures.
COVID-19 STATUS & TESTINGWe continue to be free of any Covid-19 cases but we cannot afford to be complacent. Our staff are tested routinely every week. We have installed infra-red temperature sensors both at the front door and staff entrance and everyone entering the building is required to scan their body temperature. If any staff or resident is symptomatic they will be tested immediately. Symptomatic staff will be asked to self-isolate at their home and the resident, if symptomatic, will be isolated for up to 14 days.
COVID-19 TEST FOR VISITORSWe are currently exploring the possibility of offering rapid testing of our visitors to further protect our residents and staff. Further details to follow.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
On arrival, the receiving member of staff (usually admin office) will take your body temperature using a non-touch infrared thermometer and will run through your pre-filled questionnaire to check if there have been any changes in your circumstances since filling the form. You will be given a surgical face mask. We would ask you to carefully remove your face covering and put on the face mask before entering the visiting room.
- ALCO-GEL/ HAND SANITISER: Please use hand sanitiser provided at the front door of the admin office and outside the designated visiting area upon entering and leaving the premises.
- SYMPTOMS: High temperature (37.8°C or above), a cough, as well as for softer signs such as shortness of breath, loss of appetite, and/or sense of smell, confusion, diarrhoea, or vomiting. If you develop any of these symptoms please avoid visiting the care home and dial 111 to seek further advice. These symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have the illness but a precautionary measure to minimise the risk of spreading.
- PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (PPE): You are required to wear a surgical face mask (supplied) before entering the visiting room, face shields (when required in certain circumstances), and other items supplied by us during the visit for your own protection as well as the protection of our residents and staff. At the end of the visit, we will ask you to carefully remove the surgical mask and dispose of in the clinical waste bin provided (non-touch or pedal bin) before leaving.
- CHILDREN: Children and toddlers are not permitted to the care home for the time being. Children may be more resilient than older adults but many scientists consider that children may be helping to amplify transmission and a source for other simple viral infections such as common cold and flu which our residents can ill afford. There is no concrete evidence to support this notion but in our quest to minimise the spread of the virus and reduce risks we ask for your cooperation.
HOW WE ENSURE BUSINESS CONTINUITY IN THE WAKE OF CORONAVIRUS:
- We have issued all employees with guidelines on how to recognise symptoms, and how to maintain robust infection control practices. All our staff members are routinely tested periodically (currently 2 weekly) for Covid-19. Staff members who are symptomatic or have a member of a household who is symptomatic are required to refrain from reporting to work.
- We have a good complement of staff team who know the residents and their families well. We will endeavor to avoid using agency staff as far as possible to minimise risks of contaminating the home.
- We continue to update our staff on virus prevention training methods. Upon completion of each training module, staff will be tested to ensure they are all aware of best practices.
- Visiting Family Members and Friends will only be permitted to visit if they self-certify to confirm adherence to our strict terms and control protocols.
This requirement does not apply to visiting professionals who are required to observe their own protocols and safer working practices.
- We continue to encourage the use of Skype, Zoom or Facetime video chat facilities to supplement or reduce the need for face-to-face meetings.
- In the event of an outbreak at the home or in the vicinity or a resident becoming symptomatic, we will take appropriate measures in consultation with Public Health Wales, and all visiting will be suspended.
We will do everything possible in our power to protect our workforce and the people in our care. If you have a confirmed appointment for making a visit please inform us immediately if you or anyone in your household has coronavirus symptoms, undergoing quarantine, self-isolating, or received a positive result for Covid-19.
