Adapting for the longer term at Peverel court care

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you all for your continued patience and support through what has been a challenging time in respect of Covid measures and restrictions. We are pleased to be able to communicate some changes in guidance, which should make visiting your loved ones more accessible. Our priority remains to proportionally maintain a balance to ensure that the lifting of restrictions is done safely.

The Visiting Care Homes guidance has now been archived and is now replaced by Infection Prevention and Control guidance. This essentially means that there are no longer any restrictions for visiting care homes, although visiting arrangements may be modified during an outbreak. Some infection prevention and control measures remain in place for all visits, to reduce the risk of transmission.

Whilst it is no longer a requirement to pre-book visiting slots, we would ask that where possible, the Home is notified of any visits at least 24 hours prior to the visit. This will allow our teams to prepare and ensure that the appropriate measures are in place to facilitate visits. There will no longer be an allocation of length of visits. To ensure that mealtimes are protected, we would ask that visits during mealtimes are avoided where possible, unless pre-arranged.

We will invite visitors to take a Lateral Flow Device test prior to their visit as a pre-cautionary measure. However, this will no longer be a requirement and is an optional measure. Where a Lateral Flow Device test is to be performed, this may be done at home, or a member of staff will be available to assist you with this when you arrive.

Group visits i.e. three or more visitors at one time will need to be pre-arranged with the Home. LFD testing is recommended for such visits. The Home will also complete a risk assessment.

Visitors will continue to be requested to sanitise or wash their hands, as well as having their temperature checked when entering the building. You will also be asked a series of questions around likely recent exposure to Covid-19; If you are currently unwell etc. You will also be provided with relevant PPE for the visit. Please note that in line with government advice for social care settings, facemasks must be worn during indoor and outdoor visits.

There will no longer be a requirement to restrict visits to a designated area. But we do ask that communal areas are avoided when in use by other residents.

Additional information:

Visitors who are providing personal care should wear appropriate PPE and have a negative lateral flow test result before entering the Home, unless medically exempt. Care homes are being provided with tests to support this. If these visitors attend once or twice a week, they should only test on that day. If they visit more than twice a week, they should test a maximum of twice weekly, 3 to 4 days apart.

Visitors should not enter the Home if they are feeling unwell, even if they have tested negative for COVID-19, are fully vaccinated and have received their booster. If visitors have any symptoms that suggest other transmissible viruses and infections, such as cough, high temperature, diarrhoea or vomiting, they should avoid the Home until at least 5 days after they feel better.

In line with government advice please ensure that hands are thoroughly washed prior to any physical contact. Please also bear in mind that any physical contact increases the risk of transmission.

Please be advised that in the event of an outbreak, movements in and out of the Home may be modified at short notice. During this time, only one visitor per resident will be permitted in the Home for the duration of the outbreak. Outdoor visits may continue. These restrictions will continue until the outbreak is confirmed as over.

The government continues to strongly recommend vaccination as the best defence against Covid-19.

Useful tips and hints

Please sanitise your hands regularly during the course of your visit and especially after touching your face, sneezing, coughing or touching other surfaces.

Please ensure that PPE, especially face masks (provided by the Home) are worn appropriately, ensuring both your nose and mouth are covered. Please follow any guidance provided by staff.

Wearing face masks can present additional challenges when communicating. Useful things to remember are to speak loudly and clearly, maintain eye contact, not wearing accessories that may further conceal your identity and wearing clothing or hair in a way that a resident would more likely recognise you.

We look forward to seeing you soon.