Care home residents will be allowed one visitor from today

My mothers care home is still saying steps are not put in place for a relative/ friend to have a holding hands visit it will probably be behind a glass partition?? Why when the government has said otherwise. They make too many excuses. Despite the fact that carers are refusing the vaccine surely they are putting my mother at risk. They have had 2 times covid in the home probably brought in by carers as visitors were banned and many residence dying. Please explain to me how this can be my Mum is in stage 5 kidney failure so her time is really limited she needs to see her family or at least one relation.
It’s her ‘home’ not a prison that she pays for.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m so sorry to hear that your mother is ill and without wishing to be insensitive, I would encourage you to read up on End of Life guidelines for relatives visiting loved ones in residential care, even during this pandemic. End of Life does not mean the last few hours, days, weeks or even months of a person’s life because it is not an exact science is it, so read everything you can, stay strong and make sure you’re heard. I’m sure your mother is very proud of you for fighting her corner. I wish you both peace and time together. I have offered this information as a suggestion as I am in a similar position to you, but please check out the information for accuracy.

My care home is allowing indoor visits from 8 March, but has stipulated 15 minutes
With the time to take LFT, wait 30 minutes in car for results, this seems a short time.
I am trying to find government guidance on time limits for indoor visits.

.

If a resident in care home is co vid positive and then cleared. How long can a named relative after visit

My mums care home is still awaiting further updates re March 8th visiting. We are now told that only one person can visit behind glass rather than the usual 2. And that person has to be the named person who will visit and hold hand. Why is that?
We asked for a 5 minute window wave into her bedroom (ground floor) which until now has been discouraged. Last week they allowed it but we had to have face masks, windows closed and mum was only allowed to sit at her doorway, 15ft away. She has severe dementia and little hope of seeing us through the window.
This is so painful for Mum (actually my MIL) and us. I just feel that the care homes think us an inconvenience. Where is the communication between home and family as outlined by government to give the resident the best contact tailored for that person. What upsets us more is that whilst doing their best the home eventually succumbed to Covid throughout the home. Could it have been the numerous amount of ‘professionals’ in and out or the carers because visitors were banned at that time. I have to say some of the carers in the home have been fantastic
We’ve been so involved with Mum on a daily basis, throughout her journey of 11 years and now l can’t see her at all tho luckily my husband will. It is an intensely difficult time with residents safety of the utmost importance and l understand the care homes dilemma but like so many other people l feel lost, angry and let down.
It seems to have been too easy for the care homes to close ranks and keep us out and uninformed.

I totally agree with you Margaret Oakes. What is going on right now is inhumane. My mum is currently in hosp on her 6th week following on from Covid she caught from the nursing home. She is a shell of the woman she was before Covid, due to lack of access to family. She will now never be able to do the crafts etc we did a year ago. She is now being fed puree food and cannot even hold a pen due to weakness left following Covid caught from inside the home! I don’t feel her home will let us in from March 8th. Mum barely speaks now and a visit behind glass will not work. She cannot use her wheelchair either now, so garden visits are even out. I’m beyond devastated at how precious time we had together can never be replaced. I believe that the home will not let us in due to the home being Nursing not Residential. These prison like visits need to end. They are human beings who have done no wrong and wish to see their family. Listen to the needs of these people, they are elderly and quality family time outweighs the risk! Treat us the same as carers and let us in!!!

I agree with you all, I strongly feel that it is the individual residential homes varied ‘interpretations’ of the governments guidelines that need very close inspection.

I find it hard to believe that we haven’t reached the stage of seriously violating the human rights of people currently in residential care.
What has happened to the residents rights and the rights of residents families.

I will update with any information I can access on my trawl through Covid-19 guidelines and the Human Rights Act!

Wishing everyone in this situation time and peace with their loved ones.

My son has multiple learning disabilities and lives in a residential care setting 23 miles away. I wish to be his designated visitor, either indoorsfr9m March 8th, or outdoors. He is finding lack of contact with family very difficult after so long, but up until now management where he lives say that Public health England have told them that I can’t cross the couple of miles over the Derbyshire border that this would involve, and he can’t cross into Derbyshire to meet me outdoors at a half way point either.
Is this still the case after 8th March?

Hi L Daniels it’s Margaret Oakes thank u you for your comments. I have mentioned the end of life and was told it is not relevant until my mum is in bed not eating or drinking that it comes into force. Despite me sending an e-mail to the home highlighting end of life can be months. I was told I can send as many e-mails as I like but it is their rules. I would move my mum but it will do more harm. I was told in November Mum had 7 days a week later 2 weeks and from what I have read 6 months is normally the longest. I was allowed in for these 2 weeks then they said no as she was walking eating and drinking. Any ideas where I can go from here?
It is comforting to read other people understand how I feel.

We have just been told our parents both aged 91 have suddenly been sent a letter saying they have now been designated as extremely vulnerable and need to shield along withALL the other residents. The 8/3/21 visits are now cancelled. How can the government send out those letters dated before Mr Johnson raised our hopes telling us we could finally have one family member hold their hands?
This is the most duplicitous insensitive inhuman behaviour I have ever encountered. They have a right to a family life. Their GP did not change their designation a Whitehall civil serve to 250 miles away has!!
We are incensed!

Just reading these comments makes me feel so upset. My mum has vascular dementia and not cuddle her for a year now just like everyone else it’s so sad . My dad feels lonely and was so excited that he could hold her hand on the 8th March, then he was told he can not enter the home and has to sit in the porch and is not sure if he can hold her hand. Surly in the cold weather that this is more harmful to my mum as has constant chest infection., been in a central heated house to a cold porch. This really upsets me and I feel each care home is making there own rules up. Hope you all get to see your loved ones soon ❤️

More of the same I’m afraid, i still get bills for chiropody and hairdressing but i am refused entry, these people are working with how many people per day ….touching my dad…… in and out of premises around town yet i am considered too risky to be allowed to visit my dad who has not been seen for 14 mths now…..essentially he has been abandoned is how i feel, even he calls it a prison. Not all staff members have taken the vaccine yet still i am not allowed in.
Shameful is what this is, the residents ( inmates ) were all confined to their single rooms for upwards of 20 days (losing mobility ) under the guise of positive test results, yet ….. a regular flu jab is known to produce a false positive for covid . My dad has chronic asthma plus dementia he was physically well during his confined to his cell period i spoke with him every day. The isolation was cruel and pointless for all concerned, what difference would it have made if they were business as usual they are supposed to be in a closed environment ie; all together, protected from outside……..staff bring it in hairdresser and chiropody not the residents. I do not believe the place had it at all. Project fear is a disgrace and care means family to be included no effort to reunite people has been made at my dads care home quite the opposite in fact….I have been consistently quoted were following gov guidelines, only now i ask to book a visit visa vee 8 march the new Boris announcement andnow they Don’t seem to be following gov guidelines…..
now its doors are not opening yet we don’t know when…….disgraceful.. Just what are the staff doing in there behind closed doors they have certainly got used to being unaccountable by having no inconvenient family members in the building.

Hi again
The care home has now 23 new shielding residents. Their gp knew nothing about this letter. Their medical condition has not changed. They refer to the new oxford QCOVID algorithm for deciding shielding status. I gave read the BMJ article and associated links the only variable to have changed for my parents is they now include ethnicity and POSTCODE so can target ALL care homes. My friends 100 year old mum living with them is Not required to shield. It is grossly unfair. We have all had one vaccine PPE is available s lateral flow test was organised pre visit and the care home was just waiting for final guidance from the government. Instead of guidance these shielding letters arrived and they have said no visits.
There is no hope of holding my parents again they keep putting new barriers in place. They are imprisoned for no crime save getting old!
Please help us

Hi all,

I have spoken to my local Health Watch Team and they are going to contact, and work with the Clinical Commissioning Group to really try to get these issues and concerns addressed as a matter of urgency. Health watch asked for people to contact their local Health Watch Team as the more people speak out, the louder we will be heard.
I will keep you all updated with every piece of information that comes my way, and I hope I can offer support if you need it.
My background is in Welfare and Human Rights, medical and legal matters should be discussed with the relevant professionals.

Hang in there everyone

Lesley

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/end-of-life-care/what-it-involves-and-when-it-starts/

Margaret

I hope this might give you the information that you need.

Lesley

I have just been told by my mother’s care home that my sister probably can’t visit indoors as she was planning, as my mother, aged 93, has had a shielding letter. We have not been able to hug or touch my mother since my father’s funeral last September. This system is against the human rights of those in care homes.

Hi everyone
I’ve just received the full visiting guidelines for my mothers residential home and I am now convinced it would be easier to visit someone in prison! There are reams of it.
Holding hands? Well I hope you have long arms, 2 metres apart! Full PPE, gown, mask, gloves etc. temperature taken, and LFT.
The visit is for 1 hour which includes the half hour wait for the LFT results, PPE on, PPE off, temperature taking etc . You have to wait outside, or in your car, if you have a car for the half hour wait time for the result, and I’m guessing all in all, there will be about 20 minutes left to have the actual visit. Oh, and we’re expected to sign to say we agree with the homes policy!
I will not be doing that as I would be lying, what I will do (because I want to see my mother) is to say I will adhere to their rules while we are working towards making significant changes to the rules and guidelines. The new rules and guidelines should respect and take fully into account the residents human rights, their right to be treated in an holistic manner and with respect and compassion.
Residents and their families views and wishes should be paramount, residential homes should not be allowed to take ‘control’ and make decisions that are not theirs to make, and they should be held accountable for every minute of every day spent with our loved ones in what has become a ‘locked door’ controlled environment, a place the residents are supposed to treat as their home.
Once the vaccination programme Is fully operational and Covid-19 cases, deaths and hospital admissions are consistently falling, I would imagine that top-up vaccines, or a vaccine programme similar to the yearly flu jab, will be as good as it’s going to get. If this is the case, and from my understanding it is, the current visiting guidelines need to be drastically changed now, or we will face a future of being cut out of our loved ones lives if they are in residential care or nursing homes.

People who really need residential support will be extremely reluctant to take it, and family members will be extremely reluctant for their loved ones to become prisoners in what is supposed to be their home.

The residents in my fathers cate home have also received shielding letters out of the blue. They were not previously advised to shield but now every resident has apparently become vulnerable! The GP responsible for the Care Home has advised against any contact visits and is now suggesting that contact visits shouldn’t be allowed until 3 weeks after all residents have received their second vaccination. No doubt there will then be another reason to withhold visiting once that period is up. Just exactly what has to happen before visiting restrictions are lifted? Who in government is responsible for sending out batches of shielding letters just a week before contact visits were to be allowed.

Taking action under the Human rights act can only Be done against an organisation such as a council, you cannot prosecute or invoke the act against a care home. My father is final stages of dementia, 83 yrs old recovering from asymptomatic covid. Visiting is 20minutes only after testing with all PPE, I can no longer maintain a relationship with him and now have to put my own mental health first, after a year long battle to maintain ever shifting visiting goal posts and failing. Have told the home he is better of to forget me now as the trauma of trying to maintain visits has become to much. To much emphasis placed on homes protecting their business models and incomes above the welfare of residents and families who are seen as second class after thoughts and intusive. The only way these homes will open up again is through financial pressure of people not using them. When the customers die or stop being admitted only then will they relent and accept visiting families again.

Updated guidance today on government website para 1.3 says shielding letters should not prevent indoor visits.

Hi all, me again.
Look, I understand all of the frustrations, emotions, outrage and disbelief that so many of us share. I understand the toll this is taking and the barriers we are facing, but we have to be one voice, we have to stick together which means getting the families of the residents in each and every residential home, to join forces, have one voice, and then spread the word to the next home and the next until we have a collective voice so strong that we can no longer be ignored.
I realise not everyone can do this, so help the ones who can’t, share the load, stick together.
It’s not the ‘red tape’ that binds us, it’s our common goal of protecting our loved ones and being ‘their’ voice.

What saddens and quite frankly worries me the most is this. If we were talking about our little children in these circumstances, we would be knocking down doors, barriers and anything else, regardless of ANYTHING that got in our way.
I am not advocating care home ‘riots’ or illegal or unsafe acts, I’m saying, come on for goodness sake, where’s this great fighting spirit we are known for. Yes, it’s not fair, yes, it’s hard work, exhausting and frustrating beyond belief, but we cannot go into ‘acceptance mode’ because the ‘big Boys’ have told us to.
I’m a strong believer in listening to, and following gut instinct. No, it’s not always right, but in my experience, it’s the times that I’ve ignored my gut instincts that have caused me regret and sadness, not the times that I’ve listened to them and acted on them.
For you lovely families who can’t speak out, there will be someone out there who will speak out for you, and if you truly cannot find that someone, then ask me, I will help you. I don’t say this as a ‘sweeping’ statement, I am in bad health myself, I am registered disabled, and I’ve fought for myself and others for most of my life, I’m tired, I’m sad, I’m furious and sometimes I just want to be one of the ‘quiet’ ones, but I’ve learnt that it’s perseverance and absolute bloody mindedness that gets things done. Be honest, be fair, be clear, be determined, be heard and be brave, family is everything that is important and everything that matters.
Please don’t give up. ♥️

Andy, I’m so sorry to hear your struggles, and I want to say that the sort of decision you’re making must be agony. It is a very personal decision and only you can make it.
I hope you have support, don’t let yourself be judged, but above all else, please be sure. Before you make any major decisions, take a breath, and be as sure as you possibly can be.
I wish you and your father my very best wishes.

Residents on the Shielded Patient List
Being on the SPL does not prevent a care home resident from receiving visitors in the same way as other residents.

As long as visiting is delivered in line with the arrangements set out in this guidance (including robust testing arrangements, PPE use and in the context of good IPC throughout the care home environment), this will provide an appropriate level of risk mitigation and management for people on the SPL list.

As discussed above, individualised risk assessments should be completed for residents where necessary, including in respect of specific vulnerabilities set out in the resident’s care plan. This may mean that some individuals should sensibly take a different approach to visiting – but this would be on the basis of individual clinical advice. Being on the SPL does not in itself necessitate an individualised risk assessment.

1.4 In the event of an outbreak in the care home
In the event of an outbreak in a care home, the home should immediately stop visiting (except in exceptional circumstances such as end of life) to protect vulnerable residents, staff and visitors. Essential care givers can continue to visit unless there are specific reasons not to do so.

There may be local policy and outbreak management arrangements, which will be important to follow. These restrictions should continue until the outbreak is confirmed as over, which will be at least 28 days after the last laboratory confirmed or clinically suspected cases were identified in a resident or member of staff in the home. At that point visiting may resume with the usual infection prevention and control measures and any enhancements required due to any risks identified following

This can be a public sector organisation, like an NHS hospital or social services. Private organisations or charities which carry out public services or functions are also called public authorities – for example, a private care home funded by a local authority. Public authorities include: … NHS funded care homesIs a care home a public authority?
This can be a public sector organisation, like an NHS hospital or social services. Private organisations or charities which carry out public services or functions are also called public authorities – for example, a private care home funded by a local authority. Public authorities include: … NHS funded care homes
Is a care home a public authority?
This can be a public sector organisation, like an NHS hospital or social services. Private organisations or charities which carry out public services or functions are also called public authorities – for example, a private care home funded by a local authority. Public authorities include: … NHS funded care homes

My husband is in a care home with advanced Altzheimers. During lockdown I have been temporarily living 80 miles away. No-one is saying whether I can legally travel that distance to visit him! The home has been in contact asking if I would like to book a visit, what should I do?

National Lockdown
England has rules that everyone must
follow to stay safe from coronavirus.
These rules are called national
lockdown.
Here are the rules
Rule. Stay at home. You can only leave
your home and travel for certain reasons.
Here are some of the reasons:
• To visit people in your support
bubble or for childcare
• Work. You can only travel for work
if you cannot work from home.
5

Hi all
How’s everybody doing?

Lesley

Hi. I am travelling from Scotland to England to visit my dad in his care home. I have had an email from the Premier Inn ( it is a long way so I need an overnight stay) to ask me to validate my stay, am I allowed to stay over and visit my dad? I feel I need some information/advice before I call the hotel back!

Wow government announces a second person can have a meaningless twenty minute visit of a relative in a week, we must be grateful that they allow us such open access to our family members! Perhaps if the government is not gong to relax visiting restrictions beyond these baby steps. Then maybe they could legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide and give a merciful way out of these care home prisons that restrict people to a life not worth living: