Is anyone else noticing (through videochats or garden visits) that their loved one's care home staff are not always wearing masks? On my first physical visit to my mother after six months, I sat in the doorway and she sat in her wheelchair a metre inside the home. Various carers came by during the hour, some masked, some not, and when I asked about it, the care manager said something quickly about always wearing them during personal care. Last week the chef came by and stopped to stroke my mother's hair and say hello, unmasked, ungloved.
I've looked at the Public Health England guidelines ('COVID-19 Personal protective equipment (PPE) – resource for care workers working in care homes during sustained COVID-19 transmission in England')
and if, I'm reading it correctly, it seems they advocate masks at all times but that each home can interpret the guidelines as they choose. My sister is livid about the staff not fully masking and wants to report it to the CQC, and I'm concerned but want to know if this is a widespread thing or just a problem in my mother's home. Also, is getting the CQC involved even going to make a difference? Surely they'd just slap some masks on if a CQC inspector showed up.
The manager is terrible about informing us of any rules or changes to them during this time...we have to contact her to get any information out of her. (Why can't families be kept well informed about measures being taken/not taken to prevent COVID-19?) But we have mentioned seeing carers unmasked and her email reply was that she would look into "this serious matter". No further communication.
I've looked at the Public Health England guidelines ('COVID-19 Personal protective equipment (PPE) – resource for care workers working in care homes during sustained COVID-19 transmission in England')
and if, I'm reading it correctly, it seems they advocate masks at all times but that each home can interpret the guidelines as they choose. My sister is livid about the staff not fully masking and wants to report it to the CQC, and I'm concerned but want to know if this is a widespread thing or just a problem in my mother's home. Also, is getting the CQC involved even going to make a difference? Surely they'd just slap some masks on if a CQC inspector showed up.
The manager is terrible about informing us of any rules or changes to them during this time...we have to contact her to get any information out of her. (Why can't families be kept well informed about measures being taken/not taken to prevent COVID-19?) But we have mentioned seeing carers unmasked and her email reply was that she would look into "this serious matter". No further communication.