UK
FAMILIES FINALLY ABLE TO HOLD HANDS WITH THEIR ELDERLY LOVED ONES AGAIN
Things have been very tough for
everyone in the UK since the pandemic started and nowhere has this been more
acutely felt than in Britain’s care homes. The exact figures for the number of
people that have died in elderly care facilities in the UK due to Covid-19 are
not yet known, but it is believed to be much higher than previously thought.
However, after what has been an
extremely trying time for any elderly person in a care home or anyone with
relatives residing in one, there is finally some good news to report. Measures
introduced as part of the government’s recently announced roadmap to easing
lockdown restrictions now mean that visitors are once again allowed to
physically touch their loved ones.
This will provide some much-needed
social contact for senior citizens who’ve been largely without it since
Coronavirus reared its head. Since March 8th, one regular visitor is now
allowed in that can even hold hands with their relatives indoors, although
kisses and hugs are unfortunately still prohibited.
MORE
GUIDANCE EXPECTED DURING NEXT 2 WEEKS
The government’s Health Secretary Matt
Hancock said that he was extremely pleased that it’s now possible for people to
be ‘safely’ and ‘carefully’ reunited with their loved ones and it comes with
the news that Covid infection rates are dropping across the country. It will be
just the one designated visitor though, who can keep coming back as often as
they wish.
One of the reasons that this has been
made possible is that front line care workers were given the Covid-19 vaccine
in early February. Scientifically speaking, it’s believed that vaccines become
fully effective after a period of around 3 weeks, which means that enough time
has passed. That said, getting a vaccine won’t be a pre-condition of becoming a
designated visitor.
The government’s vaccination milestones
for those over 70 years of age have also been met, meaning that those most
vulnerable have been afforded a degree of protection against Coronavirus. More
guidance for care homes is expected to be released at some point over the next
2 weeks.
VISITS MAY
BE SUSPENDED DURING LOCAL OUTBREAKS
As we’ve seen throughout the Covid
crisis, nothing is ever concrete, meaning that if local infections increase, it
could see a suspension of this new-found freedom. The government has expressed
its desire to balance the risk of becoming infected with the importance of the
physical and mental wellbeing of both residents in care homes and their
families.
Hancock went on to say “I know how
important visiting a loved one is and I'm pleased we are now in a position for
people to be reunited with loved ones who live in care homes.
This is just the first step to getting
back to where we want to be. We need to make sure we keep the infection rate
down, to allow greater visiting in a step by step way in the future”.
The effect of isolation cannot be
underestimated for those living in care homes, so it’s just as important that
this is considered every bit as much as the risk of Covid infection. What
shouldn’t be forgotten though is that we’re all still in the midst of a global
pandemic, so equal importance needs to be paid to both.
LET’S TAKE
A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT THE NEW RULES...
There are of course some extra
stipulations that need to be adhered to in order for the named visitor to be
able to enter the care home premises, the first of which is a rapid lateral
flow test that needs to be taken before every single visit. After testing
negative, the government rules state that physical contact should be minimised
between visitor and resident.
Whilst also wearing appropriate
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and observing social distancing with all
other care home users and staff, visitors are now able to hold the hand of
their loved one. Whilst a natural reaction is then to want to hug and kiss your
relative, it’s something that you’ll have to wait a little longer for, but
being able to hold hands is a good place to start.
What will continue alongside this new
provision are outdoor visits, as well as those visits being conducted behind
screens and inside pods. This will potentially allow residents the possibility
of seeing more than just one person on a regular basis.
OTHER
THINGS TO CONSIDER
If you’re someone with a relative
living in a care home and you’re likely to be the one making the aforementioned
visits, there are a few things you need to think about. Firstly, whilst taking
the lateral flow test only involves a process that lasts a couple seconds, it
does take around 30 minutes for a positive or negative result to be shown, so
you’ll likely be sat outside in your car during that time.
Also, visits have to be booked in so
you can’t just turn up and expect to be let in. So, you’ll need to call the
care home in question to register yourself as the named visitor and to arrange
a time to visit, whilst also asking for details of any local infection control
procedures that are in place.
A STEP IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION
This partial relaxation of the Covid
restrictions will be welcomed by families right the way across the country, as
many have been separated from their nearest and dearest for many months. What’s
more, social contact is vital to the mental wellbeing of not just residents,
but also family members that want to be there to support them.
Nobody is suggesting that the elderly
should be put at any risk of infection from the virus, but what also can’t be
ignored is the fact that just as much damage can be caused through lack of
contact with their loved ones. Some people might be reticent about risking
anyone’s health by lifting any kind of restriction at present, but we think
it’s most definitely a step in the right direction.
