Face masks could be made compulsory in shops 'in the next few days'

Alex54

Registered User
Oct 15, 2018
356
0
Newtown, Wales
Do you think there will be an exception for people with Alzheimer's?
We don't go out much, just twice a week to the supermarket when they are not so busy. If they enforce the use of face masks then there is no way my wife would wear one.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
People with breathing problems meaning they might panic has been mentioned.
There is also the problem of deaf people being unable to lip read somebody wearing a face covering.
 

nick97

Registered User
Feb 16, 2020
59
0
Yeah, have been absolutely dreading this.

Mum won't wear one on the bus as she just keeps ripping it off; fortunately bus drivers give her a pass after my mum was getting pretty violent with me on the bus. Hopefully local Sainsbury's are just as accommodating; they're usually pretty nice with my mum.

It's pretty funny though to watch everyone saying that "face masks should be mandatory in shops!!!!" and I'm over here praying that they're not :p

Kinda wondering what else they're gonna do to make shopping with my mum even harder.
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
Face coverings are already mandatory in shops in Scotland. This following is the advice taken from the Scottish Government website. I’m not sure if guidelines will be similar for you if they become mandatory in shops in England. I would think the first bullet point in the second section would include people with dementia. If my husband had still been alive I would have considered him in that category.

Face covering exemptions
Some people are not required to wear a face covering.
These include:
  • children under 5 years of age
  • police constables or workers such as paramedics acting in the course of their duty
  • staff such as drivers or checkout assistants who are physically separated, by means of, for example, screens, from passengers or customers
  • shop workers if they maintain a 2 metre distance from customers or members of the public
You may also have a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering if, for example:
  • you have a health condition or you are disabled and a face covering would be inappropriate because it would cause difficulty, pain or severe distress or anxiety or because you cannot apply a covering and wear it in the proper manner safely and consistently. Individual discretion should be applied in considering the use of face coverings for other children including, for example, children with breathing difficulties and disabled children who would struggle to wear a face covering
  • you need to eat or drink
  • you are taking medication
  • you are communicating with someone else who relies on lip reading
  • a relevant person, such as a police officer, asks you to remove your face covering
Seeing friends and family
Staying safe
First published: 13 Jul 2020Last updated: 13 Jul 2020 - show all updates
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
The Hidden Disabilities site offered a Sunflower Lanyard and face covering exempt card-

 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,140
0
Southampton
my husband has bad copd so hes exempt filled in the form online and the sent one to us. bright yellow, it fits his his case with his bus pass.used it on the bus today and had no problems on the bus. he was a bit wary as this is the first time since march when he was declared extra special and to shield.
 

Thethirdmrsc

Registered User
Apr 4, 2018
744
0
Throughout lockdown I haven’t been able to let my OH go into our local spar, as he doesn’t get the hand sanitizers or the distance. We have been into Aldi once, but that was before they were mandatory. But now they are (we also are in Scotland) I will just leave him in the car. It’s easier.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,140
0
Southampton
i usually go to weekly shop but ive had to take a calculated risk for my husband to go as ive got sciatica flare up and one of us needs go get money out. i told my son who is 34yr to watch him and they managed first time but went a bit wrong but nothing we couldnt put right. he followed the rules most of the time. got dragged back by his son now and again all was well in the world
 

Jan L

Registered User
Mar 26, 2020
96
0
Face coverings are already mandatory in shops in Scotland. This following is the advice taken from the Scottish Government website. I’m not sure if guidelines will be similar for you if they become mandatory in shops in England. I would think the first bullet point in the second section would include people with dementia. If my husband had still been alive I would have considered him in that category.

Face covering exemptions
Some people are not required to wear a face covering.
These include:
  • children under 5 years of age
  • police constables or workers such as paramedics acting in the course of their duty
  • staff such as drivers or checkout assistants who are physically separated, by means of, for example, screens, from passengers or customers
  • shop workers if they maintain a 2 metre distance from customers or members of the public
You may also have a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering if, for example:
  • you have a health condition or you are disabled and a face covering would be inappropriate because it would cause difficulty, pain or severe distress or anxiety or because you cannot apply a covering and wear it in the proper manner safely and consistently. Individual discretion should be applied in considering the use of face coverings for other children including, for example, children with breathing difficulties and disabled children who would struggle to wear a face covering
  • you need to eat or drink
  • you are taking medication
  • you are communicating with someone else who relies on lip reading
  • a relevant person, such as a police officer, asks you to remove your face covering
Seeing friends and family
Staying safe
First published: 13 Jul 2020Last updated: 13 Jul 2020 - show all updates
I do hope you can be excluded from wearing face masks if they have Dementia. My Husband's Dementia is very advanced and we haven't been out during the lockdown and have ventured out twice, once to get his hair cut and again to collect a meat order from the Butcher since restrictions eased. We didn't need masks the Barber was using a mask and visor, they took your temperature remotely and gave you hand sanitizer before you entered. Recently he has started to panic when I try and wash his hair in the shower and the water goes over his face he tries to bury is head and face in the corner to get away from it. I give him a face cloth to hold over his face to keep the water out of his eyes but he won't hold it to his face. He won't even wear a scarf round his neck when the weather is cold. I admit I haven't tried him with a mask yet but I am not hopeful. He doesn't understand anything you say to him, so I imagine even if I put it on properly for him he will be pulling it off himself in the wrong way, he's just like a 9 to 12 month old child.
I have no one to come and stay with him while I go out and it seems, even if I feel confident about venturing out, I won't be able to go shopping because he may not wear a mask. I have managed with an online shop once a week and someone picking up other essentials for me so looks like lockdown is a long way off being eased for me.
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
4,693
0
@Jan L Wearing a face covering is likely to be a problem for a lot of people with dementia - my mum wouldn't be able to keep one on - and although there is no specific reference to dementia in the guidance there are several of the exemptions that could apply which will hopefully put your mind at rest about going shopping. Here's a link to the government guidance which includes: You also do not need to wear a face covering if you have a good reason not to. This includes:
if you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering or
if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronav...ance-for-passengers#exemptions-face-coverings
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
I was in a supermarket yesterday. Everyone was wearing a mask apart from one lady. It became clear to me pretty quickly that she had dementia. Her husband was wearing a mask and was helping her shop. Nobody there was upset about the fact she had no mask on.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,140
0
Southampton
my husband is exempt he has copd we just went to the local bus services and get an exemption card which fits in with the free pass. he has been on the bus since and had no problems
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,140
0
Southampton
just phoned tesco and as long as he has his bus pass hes fine i read in the exceptions was mental or physical disabilities or if it will distress the person having to wear one. would that cover dementia
 

Jan L

Registered User
Mar 26, 2020
96
0
just phoned tesco and as long as he has his bus pass hes fine i read in the exceptions was mental or physical disabilities or if it will distress the person having to wear one. would that cover dementia
We don't use public transport very often, but we do have bus passes. Would we need to get some form of exemption document to show in shops?
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
4,693
0
@Jan L I'm not aware of a general exemption document to show in shops but the link to the 'Hidden Disabilities' card in Izzy's post above might be helpful. I know that some transport providers are also producing their own 'face covering exemption cards' - here's a link to the London Transport exemption card - so worth checking with your local public transport provider to see if they are providing the same: https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/face-co...he age of,services responding to an emergency
 

Jan L

Registered User
Mar 26, 2020
96
0
@Jan L I'm not aware of a general exemption document to show in shops but the link to the 'Hidden Disabilities' card in Izzy's post above might be helpful. I know that some transport providers are also producing their own 'face covering exemption cards' - here's a link to the London Transport exemption card - so worth checking with your local public transport provider to see if they are providing the same: https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/face-coverings#:~:text=Face coverings exemptions,-The requirement to&text=Children under the age of,services responding to an emergency
Thank you all for your comments, looks like I will have to get an exemption card for public transport and that will probably cover shops too. I will have to try and see how he responds when I put one on when we next go out, could be I won't have a problem when he sees everyone else in them he will be okay, I am just basing my fears on how he responds when I am dressing and undressing him and try to get garments over his head, he also reacts badly when I am washing his hair in the shower and the water is running over his face.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,140
0
Southampton
you dont have to go no where just go to london bus etc we have bluestar go to website fill in small form and they will send it out to you.its very easy
 

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