To find this revelation from an NHS carer shocking?

[Lizzie523]

I have a very vulnerable family member that I have not seen since covid. She is now in the late stages of alzheimers and have been starting to wonder if I will ever see her again.

Recently her carers had been visiting her whilst also going to look after a person with covid at the same time. Their highers up explicitly told them they must not inform us or other family members this was happening/the risk to her.

So far she has not caught covid but I dont feel confident about it not happening in future. AIBU to be beside myself with worry?

@Russellbrandshair

Care companies are now being told that they aren’t allowed to delay hospital discharges by refusing to support COVID positive patients at home. The councils are telling them this so they have no choice. As long as they are wearing full PPE I don’t see how it’s any different to caring for both positive and negative patients in hospitals. If you have an issue with this I suggest you take it up with the government not the individual care companies as they now have no choice

Yes they do have a choice. And no it’s not the same as being in hospital

Yes they do have a choice. And no it’s not the same as being in hospital

No they don’t. I’ve seen the documentation myself

Do you actually know anything about health and social care provision Cardiepockets?

YABVU. We should all be assuming that everyone we come in to contact with has Covid anyway. Your only option is to provide care for your loved one yourself and cancel the care package.

@Cardiepockets they really don't have a choice. Why would they? What would happen to the +ve patients fit for discharge? Because the beds they are in are needed for people who need medical treatment.

@Jalfreziqueen

So if you had been told about the Covid patient what would you have done differently? Cared for your relative yourself or Still just expect everyone else to do it for you and treat you all like you are the only ones...??? What does changing the care package do? Or do you mean change care provider? I think YABU

As a vulnerable human being at home these elderly people deserve to be treated by people that haven’t knowingly been around covid patients.

And it’s sad that people are starting to insulate that their relatives should be looking after them themselves when we know there are many factors including the elderly patient themselves - as an adult - not wanting to move house or be a burden.

It’s unacceptable.

@ekidmxcl

It’s unacceptable IMO, no matter how it is justified. My fil has several carers in per day. He’s over 80 and his GP won’t vaccinate him because he’s housebound and the vaccine isn’t transportable due to not remaining stable. Well he’s housebound NEXT DOOR to the fucking GP. And they aren’t going to vaccinate him due to this red tape. He’s a few feet from where people are being vaccinated. Nobody is able to use their own brain, all we do is follow procedures. Terrifying.

Are they vaccinating at the GPs though? We have a huge centre set up here, I assume it is the same in many places.

[quote baublesbaubleseverywhere]@Cardiepockets they really don't have a choice. Why would they? What would happen to the +ve patients fit for discharge? Because the beds they are in are needed for people who need medical treatment. [/quote]
Exactly. They don’t have a choice. They have all been told they have to support discharges of even COVID positive clients. Of course they could technically refuse but if they did that they would be in breach of health policy and they could be reported to CQC which would mean they might be placed under special measures. No care company is going to risk losing their entire business fgs

Care companies absolutely have the right to refuse Covid discharges. As do Carers have the right to not want to go to Covid patients. Just because they are Carers does not mean they have to do something that puts their life at risk. Yes, the majority do it and with PPE it is deemed ok to do so, but it is not forceable and families need to stand up and take some responsibilities and not expect Carers to do it all. You would be amazed at the number of so called families who have even refused to get their loved ones shopping as it would put them at risk. They just expect the good old minimum wage carer to do it

@Cardiepockets with the greatest respect, you do not understand how the system is, and currently has to work. What you would like to be the case isn't possible.

Would it ever be acceptable for a baby who was in intensive care to be treated by a nurse who earlier that day was on a covid patient ward?

No it wouldn’t.

I work in a hospital and am responsible for arranging care packages for patients who need it when leaving hospital. This is for both Covid positive and negative patients. We let the carers know if the person has Covid which should then trigger them to wear the appropriate PPE. It’s not ideal, but it is necessary as otherwise there would not be enough carers to support everyone who needs it. In a similar way, I work on both the Covid and non Covid wards in the hospital and can go between the two in the course of the day. The guidance is to change PPE between patients and wash up to the elbows.

@Jalfreziqueen

Care companies absolutely have the right to refuse Covid discharges. As do Carers have the right to not want to go to Covid patients. Just because they are Carers does not mean they have to do something that puts their life at risk. Yes, the majority do it and with PPE it is deemed ok to do so, but it is not forceable and families need to stand up and take some responsibilities and not expect Carers to do it all. You would be amazed at the number of so called families who have even refused to get their loved ones shopping as it would put them at risk. They just expect the good old minimum wage carer to do it

Nope they don’t. They’ve all had documentation sent from local government telling them they are no longer allowed to refuse covid positive clients fit for discharge. This happened about 2 weeks ago

I'll take that as a no you don't know anything about health and social care provision then Cardiepockets although you do know that it's unacceptable.

@vodkaredbullgirl

I work in a care home and we have to inform relatives, that we have had a positive test. We can not tell who it is and we follow all precautions.

This is what happened in my mum's home

The alternative for the carer who doesn't want to care for covid + people is to leave their job. Someone has to do it. Same with hospital staff. You get given clients, you visit them. End of story.

But you know now OP and you still haven't changed carers, so what difference does it make?

@Sparklehead

I work in a hospital and am responsible for arranging care packages for patients who need it when leaving hospital. This is for both Covid positive and negative patients. We let the carers know if the person has Covid which should then trigger them to wear the appropriate PPE. It’s not ideal, but it is necessary as otherwise there would not be enough carers to support everyone who needs it. In a similar way, I work on both the Covid and non Covid wards in the hospital and can go between the two in the course of the day. The guidance is to change PPE between patients and wash up to the elbows.

But EVERY client should be treated as if they are covid +! I’ll ask again. What magical super strength PPE do people think we have for non AGP care of Covid+ patients and clients?

@vodkaredbullgirl in this case logic surely follows that we should have been informed at the time then?

@Cardiepockets

Would it ever be acceptable for a baby who was in intensive care to be treated by a nurse who earlier that day was on a covid patient ward?

No it wouldn’t.

You have no clue.

District nurses are visiting people with and without Covid, most GPs are seeing some patients with Covid. When people are clamouring to get a visit or come to the surgery I'm surprised how many people are surprised by that. I think they think in the community some people just see Covid patients and we can tell who has it but hasn't tested positive or something,

We look after 30 + residents, where as in the community they see a lot less.

Lizzie523 you need to check the policies of the agencies and services providing care to see what they say about disclosing or not that one of the other clients is covid positive.

The regulations are obviously different from registered care homes or nursing homes. What does the policy say?

Or policies, if there is more than one provider caring for or treating your relative.

Most nurses in intensive care at the moment are nursing both covid and noncovid patients as most hospitals just have one ITU ward. The same with SCBUs. PPE is worn.