My Mums care home look after her but other care homes seem to be going the extra mile sending WhatsApp videos of their loved one and arranging face time. My mums care home sends a email update if i pester them and told me if I want face time I would have to buy a tablet and bring it in. I couldn't afford to buy one and know it would potentially go missing
Communication from care homes
- Thread starter Beth24
- Start date
Mum's CH has set up a Facebook page which shows the activities going on. Mum's allocated Care worker emails me photos of Mum. I email photos which they print out for Mum and my daughter sends Touchnote postcards with photos of Mum's Great Grandson. Your Mum's CH might have a shortage of staff which is making things more difficult.
Mum's care home started off by providing a regular update but this has now tailed off and I receive an update if I phone. I have dropped off some toiletries, cards etc for Mum and had a quick chat with the receptionist about how things are going and I know that they have had some fluctuating staffing issues, which is to be expected at the moment. They have a Facebook page which is updated now & again and a tablet which can be used for video calls if families pre-book one, and I have been sent a few photos of Mum. They are a fairly big care home though and have permanent activities staff who are doing the family contacting and posting the Facebook updates.
As above, I think levels of contact depend on staffing levels, and the homes that are 'going the extra mile' have enough staff available to be able to do so.
With regards tablets, the NHS & Facebook have been providing free tablets to some care homes to help residents keep in touch but this seems to be on a trial basis at the moment: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...esidents-and-patients-connect-with-loved-ones I know that some local community groups have been requesting old unwanted phones & tablets to provide to care home residents so maybe have a look to see whether there is something similar in your area, maybe try Age UK?
As above, I think levels of contact depend on staffing levels, and the homes that are 'going the extra mile' have enough staff available to be able to do so.
With regards tablets, the NHS & Facebook have been providing free tablets to some care homes to help residents keep in touch but this seems to be on a trial basis at the moment: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...esidents-and-patients-connect-with-loved-ones I know that some local community groups have been requesting old unwanted phones & tablets to provide to care home residents so maybe have a look to see whether there is something similar in your area, maybe try Age UK?
I'm the same, as Mum finds it difficult to communicate. As the lockdown has continued I'm now taking a "no news is good news" approach as I know that the CH would contact me if Mum wasn't well so a lack of contact means that she's doing OK and there's no confirmed Covid-19 in the home.
My mother's care home doesn't update me, unless there is something to report - and fortunately there has so far been nothing to report. They are happy to chat if I call them, and I also had a chat with a staff member when I took in toiletries.
They gave me the details for a Whatsapp group but my mother would not be able to participate so I haven't investigated. And of course friends and relatives can still speak to their PWD on the phone - again, my mother wouldn't benefit from that, so I haven't. I know that they are taking very good care of her.
They gave me the details for a Whatsapp group but my mother would not be able to participate so I haven't investigated. And of course friends and relatives can still speak to their PWD on the phone - again, my mother wouldn't benefit from that, so I haven't. I know that they are taking very good care of her.
I had a video call from my wife's care home today via Whatsapp. I was not expecting it but it worked out better than I imagined. My wife seemed her usual self and we managed a few minutes of talk before she drifted off. Worth trying.
I notice on this thread that homes setting up WhatsApp and Facebook updates, I asked the home about this and was told that they couldn’t use these methods because of privacy issues, has anyone else heard of this? I finally got the home in question to agree to phone me weekly with updates as my PWD isn’t capable of understanding how to interact using a phone. They suggested to me in the last call the could bring them to the window to see me as I am worried they won’t recognise me by the time I can visit again. I don’t know how this will go but I’m going to try it tomorrow ?
I know it might seem easy for me to comment when I don`t have anyone in a care home.
I can only imagine how upset and worried I`d be if my husband was still alive and in residential care.
At the same time I`m also well aware of the stress care home staff are living with at the moment, on top of being the cinderella of carers and the last to be considered priority for protective equipment.
They are risking their lives when they go to work which is well over and above anything anyone can reasonably be asked to do. If they do manage to stay in contact with family they are doing a sterling job.
I can`t help thinking any time they spend reassuring family is time taken away from caring for their residents.
I can only imagine how upset and worried I`d be if my husband was still alive and in residential care.
At the same time I`m also well aware of the stress care home staff are living with at the moment, on top of being the cinderella of carers and the last to be considered priority for protective equipment.
They are risking their lives when they go to work which is well over and above anything anyone can reasonably be asked to do. If they do manage to stay in contact with family they are doing a sterling job.
I can`t help thinking any time they spend reassuring family is time taken away from caring for their residents.
Glad to see this thread as I had wondered what went on in other places. I call Mum regularly and this reassures me but she is deaf too so often we are talking at cross purposes. I know the home is running with depleted staff so although they say I could ‘book’ a zoom call or something (I am not very good with all these things anyway) I find it much easier to call and I don’t want to cause them any bother. The home have sent updates.
Yesterday the update informed us that they have had confirmed Covid19 cases and these residents have gone to hospital whilst some other residents are showing symptoms and have been tested, awaiting results so I am concerned.
Is there a protocol endorsed by the Care Commission/NHS or other body to say what action should be taken in these cases that can be found anywhere?
I am happy with Mum’s care but this is such a unique situation that I suspect homes are having to address things at an ever changing pace with limited staff and protective gear and not much support from statutory bodies.
Yesterday the update informed us that they have had confirmed Covid19 cases and these residents have gone to hospital whilst some other residents are showing symptoms and have been tested, awaiting results so I am concerned.
Is there a protocol endorsed by the Care Commission/NHS or other body to say what action should be taken in these cases that can be found anywhere?
I am happy with Mum’s care but this is such a unique situation that I suspect homes are having to address things at an ever changing pace with limited staff and protective gear and not much support from statutory bodies.
Lying here wide awake and upset as just been thinking about my grandma in the home. Same position as everyone else as above and it’s just awful, we don’t want her to feel like we have forgotten her, and we are very worried because she relies on us to flag other health problems she may have, just during a normal chat she’ll mention something is hurting so we can try to leap into action and get things sorted. Just do not know what to do! Her eyesight is failing so we can’t even do the standing away from a door or window because she can’t see or hear us. Last we heard from the home is that they are actually confining all residents to their rooms which seems a little too far and also a bit cruel?? Have any other homes adopted this approach ?
The home does not have any internet, can you believe it, so no option of connecting online. I would be happy to pay for the home to get internet installed and even say let’s families club together to pay the bills in the short term but they are very old fashioned and concerned about data and security. Only other option I can think of is taking out a new phone contract with 4G for her, but as other people have said she cannot work the technology and staff must be so overwhelmed and busy right now it’s not fair to expect them to be sitting playing with technology, even though I would argue this does have an impact on quality of life
Does anyone have any ‘offline’ connection ideas ? Just cannot see the wood from the trees with an option.
Thanks and take care all x
The home does not have any internet, can you believe it, so no option of connecting online. I would be happy to pay for the home to get internet installed and even say let’s families club together to pay the bills in the short term but they are very old fashioned and concerned about data and security. Only other option I can think of is taking out a new phone contract with 4G for her, but as other people have said she cannot work the technology and staff must be so overwhelmed and busy right now it’s not fair to expect them to be sitting playing with technology, even though I would argue this does have an impact on quality of life
Does anyone have any ‘offline’ connection ideas ? Just cannot see the wood from the trees with an option.
Thanks and take care all x
I find it almost impossible to believe that a care home does not have the Internet nowadays, I thought they would at least have an email address. Maybe they don't have a wireless connection throughout the building? Have you tried looking online yourself to see what means there are to contact them.
However, other than phoning and asking to speak directly to your grandma or writing letters to her for staff to read out, I cannot think of what you can do.
My mum only moved into her care home on Friday after five weeks in hospital and she has to be isolated in her room for two weeks. I find that very upsetting and my guilty feelings at not letting her go back home have been made worse because no one was answering the phone today.
I'm trying not to get too stressed until Monday when hopefully the phones will be answered - when arranging for her transfer, someome always answered the phone but I'm not sure if the number I have is the best one to use at weekends.
I've not seen mum for almost five weeks now other than a brief video of her arrival at the home on Friday - my sister just happened to be dropping off some personal possessions as Mum arrived!
I was bemused by the sight of mum wearing a funny hat and clutching another one, they are not hers and I wonder where she got them while in hospital!
However, other than phoning and asking to speak directly to your grandma or writing letters to her for staff to read out, I cannot think of what you can do.
My mum only moved into her care home on Friday after five weeks in hospital and she has to be isolated in her room for two weeks. I find that very upsetting and my guilty feelings at not letting her go back home have been made worse because no one was answering the phone today.
I'm trying not to get too stressed until Monday when hopefully the phones will be answered - when arranging for her transfer, someome always answered the phone but I'm not sure if the number I have is the best one to use at weekends.
I've not seen mum for almost five weeks now other than a brief video of her arrival at the home on Friday - my sister just happened to be dropping off some personal possessions as Mum arrived!
I was bemused by the sight of mum wearing a funny hat and clutching another one, they are not hers and I wonder where she got them while in hospital!
My gran's care home went into lockdown at the start of March while my dad was on holiday. A couple of times I went to the care home door, video called my dad and then asked a staff member to take my phone in and pass it to my gran for a few minutes. I had gloves on and advised that I had wiped the phone. They were happy to do it.
I know that might not work for everyone.
I know that might not work for everyone.
I don't call the care home everyday because I know they will call me if anything serious happens. They are busy on mums wing as it is an EMI unit which means some of the residents are more challenging to care for especially now coronavirus is on the wing.
They do have WiFi and use Facetime but mum can't grasp this so its pointless. Last week one of the carers magically got mum on the phone which lasted a few seconds until she pressed the wrong buttons. It is hard but there's not much that can be done and depends on the pwds' abilities.
What we need is our bright scientists to get us out of this the sooner the better -would very much like to see mum again.
They do have WiFi and use Facetime but mum can't grasp this so its pointless. Last week one of the carers magically got mum on the phone which lasted a few seconds until she pressed the wrong buttons. It is hard but there's not much that can be done and depends on the pwds' abilities.
What we need is our bright scientists to get us out of this the sooner the better -would very much like to see mum again.
I've been pondering about this - what would need to change to enable care homes to admit visitors again? Would the 'no visiting' restrictions be kept in place until such time a vaccine was developed and available, possibly not for a year or more? Might family be allowed to visit if they followed exactly the same safety precautions as the staff, including the wearing of PPE, and maintained social distancing?
Just a few 'thinking out loud' thoughts really as the government is making frequent reference to the 'collateral' harm caused by the virus, and advising that it is important for mental wellbeing to stay connected with friends & family, yet for many with dementia it is the physical presence of family that keeps them connected so phoning, writing, video calls etc are no replacement for this.
I quite agree. Far be it for me to write another letter (yes I did) which has raised this. It has I am informed been passed on to the Dept of Health and Social Care - no repsonse as yet
Following on from my post yesterday, I went to the home this morning and the lovely staff brought my husband to the window and he recognised me thank goodness. He kept saying come in but they just used the excuse that I had a cold ( I haven’t) and took him back into the lounge area. They said before I left that because it had worked without distressing him they are happy for me to do it every week. I’m so relieved, I was a nervous wreck on the way there and I’ve got something to look forward to each week, hopefully not for too long though.
Take care everyone x
Take care everyone x
Seems I spoke too soon. Found out 'unofficially' that more than a quarter of the residents (over 20) have died at Mum's home but none are confirmed as Covid-19 due to the lack of testing
Mum is currently OK with no symptoms.
