Welcome back to our visitors

Welcome Back

We are pleased to be allowing visitors back into our care homes.

We will be approaching the initial stages with caution, to ensure we protect you and your loved ones.

We will be reviewing the visits on a regular basis and making any changes as necessary.

We ask that you please bear with us in the initial stages, as we work to ensure that the visits are enjoyable while being completely safe.

We have put together the below guidelines to help everyone understand the process of visiting your relatives. As we care for a huge variety of residents with different needs and desires, aspects of visits will differ for some people.

For example, if your loved one has dementia and is agile, mobilises and lacks cognition, social distancing will be difficult to manage and a physical visit may not be possible in the same way (pod visits, video calls could continue or a visual visit could be facilitated).

Each visit request will be reviewed by the Home Manager on a case by case basis. Visits to residents who are unable to come to the pods (i.e. bedbound residents/end of life) can be granted at the Managers discretion. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Home Manager directly who would be happy to discuss.

Visiting booking procedure

Visits are strictly by appointment only. We are unable to accept any visits without prior agreement.

Visits can be booked by emailing or phoning the home to request a time. We will respond to requests as soon as we can, but please bear in mind that we will be busy initially so it may take slightly longer at the start.

Most booking requests will be responded to Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm, please call to book during these hours.

Visiting hours are between 10am - 4pm.

Initial visits will be limited to 30 minute slots to allow us to fit in all requests.

Each resident is currently limited to 1 visit per week. Additional visits will depend on availability, at the Managers discretion.

Visits are currently limited to one ‘enhanced carer’ (guest) at a time. Unfortunately, no children or pets are allowed to visit at this time.

Should a home have a positive (or suspected) case of Covid-19, it will again be closed to visitors.

Home Managers reserve the right to cancel visits.

Please only visit the home once you have received confirmation of your appointment. We will be unable to grant any visits without this. Prior to visits.

Please do not visit the home if you are feeling unwell, have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have come into recent contact with anyone who has Covid-19.

All visitors to our care homes will be required to submit a negative test result from a Lateral Flow Test prior to entering the building. Please ensure you arrive 30 minutes before your appointment to undertake this, so it does not eat in to your scheduled visiting time.

Please only visit the home once you have received confirmation of your appointment. We will be unable to grant any adhoc visits.

All visitors will be required to wear a face mask. Please bring a washable face covering or disposable face mask with you. Visors and gloves will be provided. If you are not in possession of a mask, one will be provided.

On arrival

Please report to the main reception for your visit.

All guests will need to pass through the thermal imaging machine at the main reception.

This will measure your current temperature and if your temperature is running high, we will be unable to let you in at that point.

No data will be stored from this machine.

Once in reception, please wash your hands and sign in.

All visitors will be asked to sign a ‘visitors screening form/care home visiting form’ confirming they do not have symptoms and adhere to our guidelines.

All visitors will be required to undertake a Lateral Flow Test and receive a negative result prior to entering the home. On arrival, we will help you administer the test and then ask you to wait outside of the home for 20-30 minutes before the result is returned.

If you have an enhanced carer pod visit booked you may wait in the pod until the test result has been achieved.

Once the test result has been returned as negative, a member of staff will greet you for your visit and escort you to the designated area. The carer will remain with you either in the bedroom or the pod to supervise visits.

Please do not re-enter the home prior to this, or if your result is returned as positive.

During visits

A member of staff will accompany you to your relative, and remain with you throughout the visit.

If it is a pod visit (same side) a member of staff will supervise the visit throughout

They will be on hand to help should you need anything but will leave you to enjoy your visit.

A PPE is required for all visits, please bring a mask along with you.

Social distancing must be adhered to at all times. We understand this can be difficult for residents living with dementia and where this is not possible we will need to review how to best facilitate these visits.

Full infection control procedures will be followed at all times.

We would ask you not to bring any gifts at this time to avoid risk of contamination. If you wish to provide a gift for your relative we can arrange this separately.

Please be aware that to avoid exposure to surfaces, we will be unable to provide toilet facilities during visits.

No kissing or hugging will be permitted during the visit. Holding hands is permissible.

After visits

Please respect the 30 minute time limit for visiting to allow us to facilitate all requests promptly and fairly.

At the end of your visit, a staff member will escort you out of the home..