Message to Care home and Care workers.

[Ilovemyjob007]

I'm very worried as to how care workers are getting protected. NHS staff have protective gear etc..but how about us? We have limited sanitizer and no masks or protective gear. We have no cases confirmed at present but if we do I'm worried. My daughter has asthma so have to weigh up my options.

I want to know if this is the normal where you work?

Thank you

My auntie is a careworker employee by the local authority. She received a letter last week stating she needed to prepare to step into other council roles as and when needed, e.g cleaning schools. This goes for all council workers including bin men.
She was issued with hand gel...which contained no alcohol, so essentially useless. Unsure about masks etc but highly doubt they have been provided.

Ask the employer. We get ppe for isolation cases. Ppe for cleaning when bodily fluids are present. Hand gel everywhere and posters and training on how to wash your hands properly. Cleaning has always been stringent. I have asthma, and feel safer our care home than anywhere else at the moment. We are in lockdown.

We havent closed to visitors yet

We have aprons and gloves

Also what about testing? They said doctors and nurses would be tested but how about us?

its not a great situation is it. Just to clarify - I work in the NHS - I work with patients. Some are inaptients. Some no doubt will end up being CV19 postive. We have no protective gear. Non at all . Not so much as an apron. Oh, and also still open to visitors. Still seeing outpatients and still expected to pateint home visits.

Testing - yesterday the govt advice was only hospital patients to be tested. Today it seems to be hospital patients and staff and care home workers if a resident is a confirmed covid 19 patient. But tomorrow could bring different advice again.... so my best guess is .. ?

I work in a care home, we have the usual ppe. In the entrance into the home there is a big board about covid19. At the moment residents families are allowed in, unless they have been to the following countries or show signs of a sore throat and a cold.

I suppose eventually they will stop visitors coming into the home.

Just have to see day to day what happens.

We have been told that if we are work and show signs, we have to be isolated swabs taken and results come back then we can go home.

We also have only aprons and gloves no other ppe which I feel personally we should have.

My mum’s care home closed to visitors last Wednesday, which is hard but necessary. The managers are wonderful, as are the staff, and they put the residents first (it’s a not-for-profit).

If you were locked down already I’d say you were safer than most places because your residents are protected. As it is, I can’t understand why they wouldn’t close their doors.

Thank you for your hard work OP, you are immensely undervalued.