Changes to care home visiting guidance 'coming soon'

Henkerann

Registered User
Aug 28, 2019
21
0
suffolk
It seems that once again the elderly in care homes have been put on the back-burner, if not totally forgotten. My Mum is in assisted living with dementia. The scheme has been locked down since March 17th. I wasn't able to see my Mum until she was admitted to hospital, severely anaemic and needing 5 units of blood. When I saw her in hospital for the first time I was shocked. She was poorly but aside from that her hair was long, nails were much too long and frankly unhealthy ( carers are not allowed to cut nails because of diabetes and blood thinners) she was in short much worse for not having seen me. When she returned home, she was back in isolation for 14 days having been in hospital. I finally saw her in a garden visit at the end of July. She did recognise me (at least she said there's my daughter) I don't know if that was prompted or of her own accord. When I asked her if there was anything she wanted she just said "To go home" and when I asked why she wasn't talking she replied "Whats there to say". It broke my heart to see her broken.
Unfortunately there is now a lot of new young staff whom I I don't know and hats off to them for doing the job, but I question if they are doing it because they want to or if they have to. I have every faith in the way my Mums scheme is run and have to believe the (new) carers are good.
Yes I am afraid I am cynical, I am charged for cleaning of my Mums flat and honestly have no idea if it gets done. I deliver shopping and wonder if she gets it all. I have no idea if she is prompted to leave her flat and go to the communal lounge which has been opened now but is practising social distancing so can only accommodate a couple at a time. There are now agency staff whom I am told are only visiting that scheme.
If carers are are allowed to. go in and out, what is the difference with relatives going directly to their loved ones flat.
I could write more it won't do any good moaning and doing nothing, something needs to be done, we have to move forward, there is no guarantee there will be a vaccine any time soon and all the time our loved ones are suffering a solitary existence. I am now going to write a lengthily letter to my MP, we have to get the elderly noticed again.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
I agree there is no end in sight for the visiting restrictions, which makes it all the more difficult for relatives. I've been visiting my mother in her CH for over two years and have complete faith in them, so at least I am confident she is well cared for and receives the items I drop in for her.

I took some things in for her a couple of days ago and spent some time talking to one of the senior staff (outside of course). They are still awaiting guidance from the council, but do now once again have access to regular weekly testing, and hope to start visits in September. They are adapting the conservatory for visits. There will be direct access from outside so no need for visitors to go through the CH, and the plan is for there to be a glass screen between resident and visitor. It sounds a lot more comfortable than a garden visit, as the resident will be in a familiar area, masks won't be needed, and it'll be warm in the colder months. Progress seems so slow though - I haven't seen my mother at all since 12 March.
 

granny shoe

Registered User
Jul 14, 2020
26
0
It seems that once again the elderly in care homes have been put on the back-burner, if not totally forgotten. My Mum is in assisted living with dementia. The scheme has been locked down since March 17th. I wasn't able to see my Mum until she was admitted to hospital, severely anaemic and needing 5 units of blood. When I saw her in hospital for the first time I was shocked. She was poorly but aside from that her hair was long, nails were much too long and frankly unhealthy ( carers are not allowed to cut nails because of diabetes and blood thinners) she was in short much worse for not having seen me. When she returned home, she was back in isolation for 14 days having been in hospital. I finally saw her in a garden visit at the end of July. She did recognise me (at least she said there's my daughter) I don't know if that was prompted or of her own accord. When I asked her if there was anything she wanted she just said "To go home" and when I asked why she wasn't talking she replied "Whats there to say". It broke my heart to see her broken.
Unfortunately there is now a lot of new young staff whom I I don't know and hats off to them for doing the job, but I question if they are doing it because they want to or if they have to. I have every faith in the way my Mums scheme is run and have to believe the (new) carers are good.
Yes I am afraid I am cynical, I am charged for cleaning of my Mums flat and honestly have no idea if it gets done. I deliver shopping and wonder if she gets it all. I have no idea if she is prompted to leave her flat and go to the communal lounge which has been opened now but is practising social distancing so can only accommodate a couple at a time. There are now agency staff whom I am told are only visiting that scheme.
If carers are are allowed to. go in and out, what is the difference with relatives going directly to their loved ones flat.
I could write more it won't do any good moaning and doing nothing, something needs to be done, we have to move forward, there is no guarantee there will be a vaccine any time soon and all the time our loved ones are suffering a solitary existence. I am now going to write a lengthily letter to my MP, we have to get the elderly noticed again.
Dear Henkerann, many thanks for your post which highlights how awful the situation is for elderly people in care homes and assisted living settings. When you write to your MP it might be worth copying in the Residents and Relatives Association: info@relres.org
This charity is advocating very powerfully for the Human Rights of care home residents to be upheld during the pandemic. They had a representative speaking on Saturdays TODAY programme on radio 4. They also gave evidence last week to a cross party parliamentary committee which was investigating the impact of the pandemic on the health and welfare of care home residents.
 

MartinWL

Registered User
Jun 12, 2020
2,025
0
67
London
The latest government guidance presents a serious problem in the situation where the visitor has dementia and needs to be supported by a carer or relative in order to make the visit. Now the guidance says that only one person can visit a care home resident and it always has to be the same person. So what if that visitor has difficulty visiting alone and needs to be accompanied by a relative or carer? I have that situation - I can no longer take my father to visit my mother and see my mother myself - i have to leave him to see her alone. This is bonkers. He may well forget social distancing rules. and he needs emotional support during a visit. What if he were blind or had a physical difficulty with which he needed help? This latest guidance takes no account of the situation in which the closest relative such as a spouse is unable to visit alone.
 

mydiamondmum

Registered User
Nov 10, 2015
171
0
'They had a representative speaking on Saturdays TODAY programme on radio 4. They also gave evidence last week to a cross party parliamentary committee which was investigating the impact of the pandemic on the health and welfare of care home residents.'

Granny Shoe that is very interesting re the cross party parliamentary committee last week, apparently it was led by Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, I will try and contact her office and volunteer to help her campaign in any way I can.

Meanwhile 'John's Campaign' (On Facebook) has found a barrister interested in demanding a judicial review of the governments poor handling (total incomprehension) of the effect of separation of people (especially those with dementia) living in care homes from their closest family.