Visit cancelled due to resident with Covid

[northumbrian_k]

I have been visiting my wife weekly behind a perspex screen but today I was looking forward to seeing her in her room. Unfortunately the care home manager rang me to report that recent testing of all residents has come back with a positive result. This is the first. The resident lives on a different floor to my wife but all in-home visiting has been cancelled as a precaution. A visit behind perspex would still be possible but it seems best not to place both residents and staff under additional stress. I have cancelled my planned visit and may go for a windy walk with the dog instead.

 

[Izzy]

I’m sorry to hear that @northumbrian_k. So disappointing for and also sad that someone has tested positive.

 

[Exning]

The current guidelines on visits stipulate a lockdown when there is a case in a home. This might have been understandable pre vaccine roll out, it is not the case now when the risk has been radically reduced. I would urge you to complain to your MP to lobby for the rules to be changed. Unfortunately with so many care staff not vaccinated..... Last nhs data said over 30%...this is going to be a regular occurrence. The mass testing in Care homes will inevitably pick up cases. If vaccinated the risk to residents is very small.
We need to get back to more normality and a lock down or restriction where there is in reality little risk is not right

 

[northumbrian_k]

I am afraid that I don't share your view @Exning My approach has been to work with the care home and try to understand things from that perspective. A, the Manager was quite clear that 1 case does not constitute an 'outbreak' and that I could continue to visit my wife in the way that I have been doing for several weeks (ie with a perspex screen between us). These visits have been good - in fact sometimes better than before Covid as my wife has less chance to wander off - but I made the decision not to visit today when the home is dealing with its first positive test amongst residents.

It is a small home and I know most of the residents and staff by name. My hope is that whoever has tested positive makes a quick recovery. In the meantime I will keep in touch by talking to the staff who have done wonders for my wife's welfare.

I can't give an evidence-based view on the level of risk, but I agreed with the Manager's earlier suggestion that it would be better to wait until 2nd vaccinations had been given to all residents before opening up to in-home visits. She was, however, instructed to comply with the new rules for visits from 8 March onwards. These are now on hold temporarily. I will be ready to visit my wife whenever it seems appropriate to do so. I'll do this through negotiation with the home and certainly have no intention of raising a complaint with my MP or in any other way.

I hope that this clarifies my thoughts on what I know is an emotive issue for many (me included).

 

[Palerider]

Dissapointing for you @northumbrian_k, but its a small care home as you say which makes more difficult for them to manage things. My mums care home are following suite and ensuring all residents have had their second vaccine -also dissapointing but it is what it is

 

[DennyD]

I am afraid that I don't share your view @Exning My approach has been to work with the care home and try to understand things from that perspective. A, the Manager was quite clear that 1 case does not constitute an 'outbreak' and that I could continue to visit my wife in the way that I have been doing for several weeks (ie with a perspex screen between us). These visits have been good - in fact sometimes better than before Covid as my wife has less chance to wander off - but I made the decision not to visit today when the home is dealing with its first positive test amongst residents.

It is a small home and I know most of the residents and staff by name. My hope is that whoever has tested positive makes a quick recovery. In the meantime I will keep in touch by talking to the staff who have done wonders for my wife's welfare.

I can't give an evidence-based view on the level of risk, but I agreed with the Manager's earlier suggestion that it would be better to wait until 2nd vaccinations had been given to all residents before opening up to in-home visits. She was, however, instructed to comply with the new rules for visits from 8 March onwards. These are now on hold temporarily. I will be ready to visit my wife whenever it seems appropriate to do so. I'll do this through negotiation with the home and certainly have no intention of raising a complaint with my MP or in any other way.

I hope that this clarifies my thoughts on what I know is an emotive issue for many (me included).

It's good to hear you have a good relationship with the care home. It makes such a difference, especially now. Fingers crossed it will be resolved as soon as is possible. Hope your dog did not get blown away.

 

[Grannie G]

That’s bad news for you @northumbrian_k

The care home sounds to have the best interests of residents, carers and family at heart and it`s good you trust the way they are addressing the situation.

I hope no one becomes seriously ill.

 

[anxious annie]

It must be so disappointing to have had a visit cancelled. I thought , however, that indoor visits can go ahead unless there is an outbreak (2 related cases) ?
I was so pleased to have an indoor visit on Monday and hold mum's hand for the first time in over a year. Mum is in a small care home and I have nothing but praise for the way the staff have looked after mum during this difficult year. I appreciate that it is difficult for the home to "oversee" the visits from family as they have to do the LFT test and visits are then in a "family room". This means that visits are limited to how many they can oversee as it takes an hour for each resident ( a 30 minute visit , and allowing 30 minutes for the LFT ) . My sympathy is with the manager trying to juggle this ..... But my priority is in challenging for my mum's right to be able to have meaningful contact with at least one named visitor.as she has been denied this for over a year. So I have been active in emailing my MP and campaigning with groups to put pressure on Government to allow residents the same rights as everyone else to spend quality time with family. I don't feel that the suggestion of waiting for 2nd vaccine is really in the best interests of residents and family @Grannie G . There ought to be individual risk assessments for each resident , as suggested in the guidance.
I have no argument with the manager, who is following guidance, and do have a very good relationship with staff, but I do feel that the Government, and many care home managers are now being much too cautious. We are told that one dose of the vaccine provides very good protection from serious illness, so with that and testing of visitors the risk is minimal. There is a much greater risk to mental health from not allowing meaningful visits ( the risk of this according to Sage, September 2020, is moderate to high) so I feel that managers are failing in their duty if they don't follow Government guidance and allow indoor visits before residents have a 2 nd vaccine.
Sadly many residents do not have time on their side, so stopping visits for 28 days (PHE) seems to not be in their best interests.
I hope that once the current situation resolves for visits to your wife's care home @northumbrian_k that there is then not another positive case which means visits will stop again. This cycle can unfortunately go on, and on.

 

[northumbrian_k]

I am relaxed about this @anxious annie as I am certain that my wife's understanding of time and my absence do not cause her any anxiety.

 

[Lone Wolf]

How fortunate that your wife has such a good level of care. Unfortunately not everyone can be so assured. Not all care homes have tried to facilitate visits by installing pods, screens or allowing window visits. As dementia advances, emotional connections remain above all else, particularly where the relevant relationship was very close and loving before the onset of dementia, and so it is the worst thing to deny the emotional connections to loved ones, for whom time is running out after 12 months of visitor lockout. Care homes are supposed to do individual risk assessments, but it seems few are doing so. If they did so, the risk from a carefully vetted key visitor would be very low. I have as much chance of being run over crossing the road as catching anything horrible on my once a week early morning visit to the supermarket, and many "essential" visitors would similarly be low risk. The concept of "essential care giver" is a good one, but should be extended to emotional care and have much stricter compulsion on care home managers, without forcing relatives into an adversarial relationship with the home looking after their loved one.

 

[DennyD]

How fortunate that your wife has such a good level of care. Unfortunately not everyone can be so assured. Not all care homes have tried to facilitate visits by installing pods, screens or allowing window visits. As dementia advances, emotional connections remain above all else, particularly where the relevant relationship was very close and loving before the onset of dementia, and so it is the worst thing to deny the emotional connections to loved ones, for whom time is running out after 12 months of visitor lockout. Care homes are supposed to do individual risk assessments, but it seems few are doing so. If they did so, the risk from a carefully vetted key visitor would be very low. I have as much chance of being run over crossing the road as catching anything horrible on my once a week early morning visit to the supermarket, and many "essential" visitors would similarly be low risk. The concept of "essential care giver" is a good one, but should be extended to emotional care and have much stricter compulsion on care home managers, without forcing relatives into an adversarial relationship with the home looking after their loved one.

The concept of "essential care giver" is a good one, but should be extended to emotional care and have much stricter compulsion on care home managers, without forcing relatives into an adversarial relationship with the home looking after their loved one.

I would support the extension to emotional needs more emphasis.