Jump to content

Care Home Visiting As At 25 July

Recommended Posts

A few days ago, suggestions were made that care home visiting information was "imminent",  but the only news I've heard since is that it would likely be for one named visitor only.

A relative rang me earlier stating that visitors are being allowed at an (unnamed) old folk's home in Nether Edge.

Have I missed some news announcement?

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, RiffRaff said:

A few days ago, suggestions were made that care home visiting information was "imminent",  but the only news I've heard since is that it would likely be for one named visitor only.

A relative rang me earlier stating that visitors are being allowed at an (unnamed) old folk's home in Nether Edge.

Have I missed some news announcement?

 

No two homes are the same and each home adapts to the current Guidelines and they will decide- visit their website.

No visitors are allowed in the buildings, contact is made by appointment in the grounds/plastic sheds etc. 

The care home will be acutely aware of the effect on the residents of visits and will ask families to create their own rota.

There are very special arrangements for a visit at the "end of life". 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, Annie Bynnol said:

No two homes are the same and each home adapts to the current Guidelines and they will decide- visit their website.

No visitors are allowed in the buildings, contact is made by appointment in the grounds/plastic sheds etc. 

The care home will be acutely aware of the effect on the residents of visits and will ask families to create their own rota.

There are very special arrangements for a visit at the "end of life". 

Thanks for that, Annie.

Ours would be an "end of life" job, admitted 9 weeks ago after being discharged from the Hallamshire.

Have to say that we've been very disappointed not to have been kept updated with patient information from the home, especially as they (obviously) know that no visiting has been permitted in recent months. On numerous occasions we've been asked to "ring back later" because of meal times over running, nurse doing the rounds, etc., only to hear the same again later due to another reason. I think the "record" for not getting through to the actual ward is 3 days so far...

We appreciate these are incredibly awkward times for the home staff, but it also works both ways... 

Edited by RiffRaff

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, RiffRaff said:

Thanks for that, Annie.

Ours would be an "end of life" job, admitted 9 weeks ago after being discharged from the Hallamshire.

Have to say that we've been very disappointed not to have been kept updated with patient information from the home, especially as they (obviously) know that no visiting has been permitted in recent months. On numerous occasions we've been asked to "ring back later" because of meal times over running, nurse doing the rounds, etc., only to hear the same again later due to another reason. I think the "record" for not getting through to the actual ward is 3 days so far...

We appreciate these are incredibly awkward times for the home staff, but it also works both ways... 

 I think if you are just ringing up on spec and hoping to catch them at a time when they are not too busy to answer your call then you are hoping for a bit too much tbh!   How many people are in that care home, and how many of those people have relatives like you, on the outside, wanting to know how they are?  I think it would be a full-time job to answer all those calls.

 

You say "it works both ways" but I see no evidence here that you are being very understanding of their situation.  You are just becoming frustrated at not being able to get through.

 

How about you drop them a line, or an email, and request a specific telephone appointment, a few days ahead, just to get a brief update?  Have you tried that?  If so, what was their response?  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"Just frustrated"?!

Of course we've asked what the most convenient times to ring are! And there are no other relatives/friends who'd be enquiring!

Granted, there are other patients there as well, but not all will be on end of life care.

94 year old widow, no other relatives, with no personal contact since NHS hospital admission over 3 months ago - and the only time the home has made contact was to confirm admission all those weeks ago.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the above, although as someone said - Every home may be different within the Government guidelines.

Those 'guidelines' are very sparce.

 

The Government guidelines, as I understand it, are to be interpreted by the Care Home along with their own ideas of what is best practice. 

THEN

Their system is to be submitted to the local Health Officer to be authorised! Then visits can start.

 

The Care home looking after my Mum are a national Chain and they issue a weekly email and their latest indicates that they are waiting for Government Guidance.

      "I hope you are keeping well. Please accept my apologies for the delayed communications this week. We have been holding out for the latest advice from the Government in relation to visiting. Please rest assure that as soon as further detail is provided in relation to visiting, I will update you as soon as possible."

 

So, In the mean time we are continuing with 'window visits' .  That is  us outside Mum inside and a window open about 2 inches, 30 minutes limit and a member of staff monitoring in the same room. 

IMO - The Care Home are doing well with little support, as it has been since the start of the pandemic. I current visiting situation needs to be clarified, but I'm not holding my breath.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
17 minutes ago, Flanker7 said:

Thanks for the above, although as someone said - Every home may be different within the Government guidelines.

Those 'guidelines' are very sparce.

 

The Government guidelines, as I understand it, are to be interpreted by the Care Home along with their own ideas of what is best practice. 

THEN

Their system is to be submitted to the local Health Officer to be authorised! Then visits can start.

 

The Care home looking after my Mum are a national Chain and they issue a weekly email and their latest indicates that they are waiting for Government Guidance.

      "I hope you are keeping well. Please accept my apologies for the delayed communications this week. We have been holding out for the latest advice from the Government in relation to visiting. Please rest assure that as soon as further detail is provided in relation to visiting, I will update you as soon as possible."

 

So, In the mean time we are continuing with 'window visits' .  That is  us outside Mum inside and a window open about 2 inches, 30 minutes limit and a member of staff monitoring in the same room. 

IMO - The Care Home are doing well with little support, as it has been since the start of the pandemic. I current visiting situation needs to be clarified, but I'm not holding my breath.

Thank you for that.

You're very fortunate to be able to window visit. Having asked "our" care home about that, we were told that the old dear wasn't on the ground floor, and hasn't been out of bed since day one. Our home is also a member of a national chain, but contact - as I wrote before - has been limited to an initial phone call advising arrival, and complete silence since, other than answering our questions by 'phone when we can get through.

We write weekly : whether the patient has the ability to read now, or if the letters are read out to her, we don't know. We hope that she's (kept) aware of the problems the virus has caused, and doesn't think that she's just been abandoned. We are her only relatives left, made worse that she's had no contact since being admitted to hospital at the very beginning of April.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the circumstances you describe, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a weekly Skype or WhatsApp video call.  Does the lady concerned have a named social services link?  If so, I would contact them with my concerns.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Lex Luthor said:

In the circumstances you describe, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a weekly Skype or WhatsApp video call.  Does the lady concerned have a named social services link?  If so, I would contact them with my concerns.

Glad to say things have moved on a little. I wrote to the chain's HQ and asked, what with the lack of an update, what their future visiting plans would likely be. I used the word "future", and suffice to say, the reply was that they couldn't tell me future plans...but they could clarify the plans that were operational "now".

Visiting - with expected precautions - had then been allowed for 3/4 weeks...but nobody at the home in question had bothered to mention it during phone conversations!

To this day there's nothing about it on the home's website. Perhaps, with all the extra work involved, cleaning before and after the visit, they don't really want it known...

Anyway, pre-book, 1 person only, 1 visit weekly, 30 minutes maximum is the order of the day.

Whether this applies across all homes, I'm not sure.

 

As regards your comments about Skype/WhatsApp....erm.....no!

Edited by RiffRaff

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Glad things are a little better.  The whole care system needs a massive shake up in this country but that's not to ignore the catastrophic consequences of Boris's policies.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Despite your hate for Boris I think you will find that the UK has done better in the care home situation than Spain, Italy and even France. But if my mother in law is anything to go at 87 she just wants to die as soon as possible regardless. She has lost her sight, is wheelchair bound, incontinent and does not want visitors even from her family. All well and good playing the blame game but she doesn't care and I doubt many in her position do either.

Edited by apelike

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.