Covid in care home

[Okbutnotgreat]

Was gutted today to get a phone call to tell me that DMs care home has several cases of Covid suddenly. They’ve been clear for a while and we were hoping visiting would become much easier very soon but now they’ve closed to the outside totally again indefinitely. Not sure if any carers have tested positive yet but they and all visitors were testing before entry already. I know they are just trying to looks after their residents but DM has been close to death several times in the last couple of years, she will just deteriorate further without any contact and it just seems so unfair.

I agree OP. It really made my grandmother's last days better to have family visit and be able to get out just a little.
I think we are in danger of being so worried about protecting peoples' lives that we are preventing them from living their lives. In essence we are keeping them alive to be unable to live. And they have no choice. There is no control for them, whereas the rest of us are able to make our choices and choose to take any risk we deem appropriate.

I work in a care home and whenever staff or residents test positive the whole home goes into lockdown. Residents (those testing positive) are restricted to their rooms and previously even those testing negative were confined to their rooms to. These residents declined rapidly physically and mentally, it's heartbreaking to see. Luckily the manager has recognised this so all those testing negative are no longer restricted. If someone is end of life their visitors are not restricted. We have a specially built room where visits can still take place all behind clear screens which has been a life saver.

Personally I think visiting should take place whether Covid is in the building or not. At your own risk of catching it. These days you are more likely to catch Covid in Tesco stood next to a mask less positive case who is no longer required to wear a mask or quarantine. As long as you aren't bringing it into the building and understand that there is Covid in the building it's up to you to decide if you want to come in.

Around the Christmas period myself and my colleagues changed plans and restricted our activities outside of work to try and limit the chances of bringing Covid in and risking lockdown over the holidays, it paid off and we had lots of visitors in to celebrate together with their loved ones. Luckily any cases we've had since vaccinations have been very mild and full recovery's made.

Are you an essential care giver or care partner. My understanding of the guidelines are that you can still visit with appropriate poe

@MrsClatterbuck it’s up to the individual care homes to decide what’s allowed and ours doesn’t allow either any special consideration. DM lost all mobility and virtually all communication before lockdown and is in bed 24/7 with no contact with anyone other than the carers. We have had one hour a week for last few months. As far as the home are concerned if we disagree then we are welcome to remove her but that would mean 24/7 care at home and it’s just not possible. She would have to live in my living room for one thing.

I would be happy to take the risk of visiting her but am simply not allowed and what DM wants is neither here nor there. Her world has shrunk and so has her brain. She will just give up and that’s so wrong.

The government guidelines state that every person in a care home is entitled to an “essential care giver”. This isn’t within the discretion of the home, and doesn’t need to be for physical care. I’ve just got that accepted - it took persistence and quoting of government guidelines, but I got there. Essential care givers are allowed access during Covid outbreaks.

Is she a self funder? It might be worth getting social services involved if there’s a threat she may have to move homes.

You might like to move this post to Elderly Parents where there’s a lot of practical advice

@MereDintofPandiculation I am questioning the Care Home and have sent a copy of latest government guidance but they are still adamant that total closure is in best interest.

Sadly she is fully funded and they wouldn’t have a problem with moving her so that doesn’t help in this case.

I’m doing what I can but she is so vulnerable that I need to keep them on side. Pissing off the care home can unfortunately only have potential but very real negative consequences for DM.

My MIL’s home was shut for 2 months after Xmas, and had been shut a lot before it too.
You’ve now got to test before you go in, yet residents are allowed to go out to shops and cafes with untested relatives.

The whole thing is ridiculous. If a home has Covid, the increased is to visitors not residents. A resident is not more likely to acquire Covid from a visitor just because the home already has Covid.

I'd still be talking to Social Services on the grounds that her needs are not being met. They might be able to advise on steps you could take. Is it an independent home or part of a chain? If a chain, it might be able to complain to Head Office without local ill effects.

Are they facilitating contact via video - even though it will mean a carer operating the tablet and encouraging her to look and probably translating anything you say - they should be doing this.

@MereDintofPandiculation they will stand near her with a very small mobile phone that she can neither see clearly or hear what’s said so she finds video contact frustrating and pointless.

I have contacted the care group head office to find out if it’s an actual company policy or just the manager’s preference. I will decide on involving social services when I know who’s making the rules but I definitely won’t be leaving things as they are.

@GeneLovesJezebel ours has totally locked down again a la March 2020 style but prior to that residents were permitted to go out but if they went anywhere the home deemed high risk (shop, restaurant etc) they had to agree to daily lfts for 14 days