No masks in Care Homes at last

[MMAMPWGHAP]

Finally finally my mum’s home has stopped masks following change in government guidelines.
What on my dad who was in there for the last 14 months with vascular dementia made of it all I will never know.

It makes such a difference doesn't it! We didn't wear masks outside in the summer and mum was so much better because of it. We haven't worn masks for a few weeks now and it is so much easier for mum although she tends to stare straight through us anyway.

I'm shocked they still had a rule about it!

We’ve been free of masks since just before Christmas.

communication is so much easier.

Didn't even enter my head when we put mum in respite care. How shocking. We were told to wear a mask about a week into her stay, there was one covid case, but no one actually paid attention to it.

in reality, if mum needs care, I will have to consider home care more seriously because of stuff like this. I can't believe you guys have been trying to communicate with your elders through masks! That's shocking.

when the initial case happened and they told visitors to wear masks, we kept the door locked but then we realised they didn't really mean it.

they tried to claim it was a Dept of Health requirement but I don't think it was?

We do need to wear masks in my MIL's care home in East London. Also have to take a covid test on entry. I approve of this.

Thank goodness, about time. I feel that there's been no proper thought of the risks of wearing masks, no risk assessment of that. I can't believe what has been allowed to happen in care homes tbh.

MIL has been on an NHS unit for over six months, and for most of that time masks have only been required when there's been a recent Covid outbreak. I'm really surprised they have continued to be a requirement in some care homes. Even more so about the testing, though I don't think many patients get the same volume and frequency of visitors as MIL.
Personally I'm not bothered about being asked to wear a mask, but it really does make communication with elderly confused people a lot more difficult.

a Dept of Health requirement but I don't think it was? In our case it was a LA requirement based on DoH guidance.

but it really does make communication with elderly confused people a lot more difficult. not to mention elderly deaf

Just in time for the next variant

Exactly. Health crisis partly due to now needing winter covid beds as well as flu beds and they relax the rules. Genius

So those homes who still have mask rules in place, how are you managing it? Do you mostly visit the person in their room? Are residents wearing them?

We visit MIL in her room as she is bedbound anyway.

We open the window and pull the mask down once in there.

The staff don't wear masks and all visitors have to take a covid test first anyway.

Haven't been compulsory since n my friends home for months now.

Staff still wear masks. Or are supposed to.

I've worked in a care home and worn masks until very recently, yesterday I tested positive for covid for the first time.