Care Home Residents re: Vaccination

[Stormevey]

Can anyone enlighten me as to the procedure that has to be followed in the event of a care home resident refusing to have the Covid vaccine?? My partners mum is one of those residents who's refusing it and he's constantly being contacted by the care home and being asked to persuade her to have it. I've tried to find info about this online, but all I keep finding are the rules for care home staff.

If they have capacity, they can refuse to have it. And if they don't have capacity, there would be some argument for giving it in best interest, but equally no one is going to force a needle into an unwilling patient (capacity or not).

There are no rules on residents having to have the vaccine. I guess that may well change for new residents (potentially, I don't have any inside info, just guessing).

The same rules as the general population. If they didn't have capacity to consent there would be a best interests decision and they would look at ways of making it easier for them to cope with having the vaccination as with any other medical procedure but ultimately they wouldn't be forced. I suppose it's possible care homes may be able to set their own rules about newcomers to the home.

Given staff have to have it in care homes, I do wonder whether care homes will start including it in their terms and conditions as being mandatory too for residents. Whether they can do that for existing residents or not, I do not know. It sounds like this care home is currently at the strong persuasion stage.
If it is a private business, can’t they do what they like? The same as nurseries excluding children without a PCR test etc and insisting on parents paying at the moment anyway or not letting children in if there is a Covid positive in the family, even if that is not current government advice (with the exception of Omicron).

They would need to be careful around discrimination although this would only apply to the small number who cannot be vaccinated. Some private care homes will still ' do business' with councils ( residents with learning disabilities etc) so would be mindful of that before they start refusing people.

@Iliketeaagain

If they have capacity, they can refuse to have it. And if they don't have capacity, there would be some argument for giving it in best interest, but equally no one is going to force a needle into an unwilling patient (capacity or not).

There are no rules on residents having to have the vaccine. I guess that may well change for new residents (potentially, I don't have any inside info, just guessing).

They really do force unwilling patients/residents without capacity to have injections/vaccines/blood tests. I've seen it and I've had to do it (and yes, I felt awful and bad and wrong) as it considered to be in their best interests, even if it is distressing for them.

However, if someone has capacity to refuse, or the person representing them declines something, that should be the end of it. They shouldn't be pestered about it.

Residents with capacity make their own decision on this.

Residents without capacity have the decision made for them by the person with a PoA for health and welfare. That person can consent or refuse. If they refuse they would usually be expected to provide an explanation. But if they said, for example, “in the past x always refused vaccines on religious grounds, so I am refusing this on their behalf believing this would be the decision they would have made for themselves” that would be difficult to challenge.

Most care homes are both homes and businesses. They would not want to move an existing resident who refused the vaccine. And many would not be in a position to turn down new residents who had not been vaccinated because they have to fill places to remain profitable.