Dear Family and Friends,

We hope you are all well. It is so nice to ‘feel’ the first signs of spring in the air. Its been for most of a us, a very difficult winter. We thought thus, it would be an opportune time to get in touch with all things positive and hopeful.

Vaccinations

While coronavirus cases remain high, the number of infections is falling. The UK’s vaccination programme has seen every care home resident offered a jab, with almost 17 million vaccinations carried out in total. All of our residents have now received their first vaccination and we are expecting the boosters sometime in March. We await further information regard this from our GP and will inform you shortly of plans for this.

Relaxation of Visiting Policy- The single named Visitor

In line with Government and PHE guidelines, each of our residents is now permitted one regular indoor visitor.

Glenview and Meadowcare will allow a single visitor to hold hands indoors with their relative or contact in a care home, and make repeat visits, with adherence to the following carefully considered procedures put into place to keep residents, staff and visitors safe.

Every resident will have the opportunity to name one individual, who will be required to have a test beforehand, wear PPE during the visit, avoid close contact and follow strictly our Infection Prevention Control Protocols.

Infection Control and Prevention

Visitation will be permitted following with due consideration to local public health advice and application of the following control measures:

• Strict infection control measures will be in place at each entrance to the building. Screening and LFT tests will be carried out on all persons prior to entry into main areas of the premises.
• All persons must follow strictly the infection control and prevention procedure during all visits. Clear notices are posted at entrance and visitor procedure is supervised closely by trained staff, to ensure all full compliance.
• Each service user has an ‘Individual Visiting Plan’ to ensure all social contact needs are met.
• Visitors are limited to one visitor from the same household.
• There is a booking system in place to minimise the number of visitors to a maximum of two* daily. *Discretion of Managers and dependent entirely upon individual circumstances.

Additional Government Source Information

• • The person nominated will remain unchanged throughout.
  • There will be discretion to allow more than one named visitor in exceptional circumstances
  • Home testing of single, named visitors will not be allowed ( LFT only)
  • Hand-holding is allowed but named visitors will be asked to avoid any closer contact
  • Vaccination is not mandatory and will not be a condition of visiting
  • Visiting will be suspended during local outbreaks in individual homes
  • Further Government guidelines will be available in March 2021

Social Connection at Our Homes

We realise just how important it is that residents, family and friends stay connected. Staying away doesn’t have to mean losing contact. Below are some suugestions on how you can keep in touch from afar and staff are more than willing to support you:

• Discuss with the Managers which form of communication might be most suitable for your relative, bearing in mind any sight or hearing impairments:
  • Video calling like FaceTime, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, Zoom etc
  • Telephone – for some, landlines may be more appropriate
• Continue to arrange with the Home a regular time to get in touch with your relative-Even where your relative appears not to understand verbal communication, a phone call from you, with your familiar voice, could still be beneficial
• Perhaps you might like to create a life-story book to make a record of their background, interests, relationships etc to help the care team better understand and relate to them
• Send small parcels by post with something of yours which will be familiar to your relative or with your smell, or send books, magazines, DVDs, items to help with a hobby etc.
• Order some flowers to be sent to the home, with your personal message, to help brighten up the day of your relative (and the staff!)
• Post some photographs, old and recent, to your relative to help them stay connected to you
• Send cards, letters or post cards with messages of support / updates on family news
• Alert care staff to upcoming milestone dates, like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or anniversaries of deaths which may affect your relative. Ask care staff to ensure you are able to contact your relative on those dates

New Registered Managers

On March 1 2021 we welcome respectively to both Glenview and Meadowcare are new Registered Managers. Ben will take up post at Glenview and Laura, at Meadowcare. They are both very experienced and knowledgeable Care Managers, and we wish them well in their new roles. At this time Abigail and Francis will take up post as Clinical Leads for our Homes.  Please ensure you are properly introduced at your next visit.

New Registered Nurse Education and Practice Programme

We have recently engaged a training Company, expert in the further training of nursing staff.  All our qualified and newly qualified nurses are undergoing further training throughout the spring and summer to support their learning, development and better their understanding of nursing within a care home environment.

New Senior Education and Practice Programme

Seniors have now been selected in each Home. In March we will be implementing our new Senior Care education and practice programme. As with the Nurse team, the Seniors will undergo a 6 month standard framework course. On completion we expect our Senior Team to have an in-depth knowledge of presentations associated with aging, complex dementia care and caring for people with a very person-centred approach.

Established Welfare Teams

We have a developed a new and fresh way to care for both your loved ones and their families. By the end of March 2021, each resident (and their family) will have a specific team of care staff responsible for co-ordinating their care. Each ‘Welfare Team’ will consist of a named qualified nurse, a named Senior Carer and a number of carers. It is intended that the Welfare Team, the resident and their family members can build strong, trusting and professional relationships so as to ensure the care we deliver is focused entirely on the individual needs of the resident. 

We are still in the process of ensuring these teams are robustly set up in order to achieve best outcomes for all and you will be shortly contacted by your Senior Team Lead, to arrange a more information discussion about specific arrangements.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you all again very soon.

On behalf of all our Teams

Warmest Regards

Caron M. Dixon General Manager for Glenview and Meadowcare Homes