Caring through Covid

Over the past few months since the majority of government restrictions were lifted, we have been delighted to welcome back family and friends of those living in our homes through our doors once again. It has been such a pleasure to see the joy and happiness of those family reunions, renewed friendships and overdue celebrations.

Whilst this return to a ‘new normal’ is much appreciated by all of us, we still have a collective responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those in our care. Furthermore, a number of individuals who live in our homes are in poor health and still require further precautions to ensure their health and well-being.

For these reasons, there are a few measures still in place that we ask those visiting our homes to be aware of.

Each person who lives in an MMCG care home may have ‘named visitors’ who will be able to enter the home for regular visits. There is no limit on the number of ‘named visitors’ that each person can have and no nationally set limit on the number who can visit in a single day.

In addition, each individual living in our homes may choose to nominate an essential care giver who may visit the home to attend to essential care needs. The essential care giver should be enabled to visit in all circumstances, including if the care home is in outbreak (but not if the essential care giver or the individual that they are visiting tests positive for Covid-19).

Named visitors are advised to keep physical contact to a minimum (except for essential care givers). Physical contact like holding hands will be allowed if hand washing protocols are followed. Close personal contact such as hugging presents a higher risk, but this risk can be mitigated if both people are double vaccinated, do not make face-to-face contact, and the contact is brief.

Many of our care homes will also continue to offer visits to friends or family members through arrangements such as outdoor visiting, rooms with substantial screens, visiting pods, or through windows should individuals prefer these options.

If you are unsure which measures may be in place for your next visit, please do feel free to get in touch with individual care home managers for specific advice on visiting each of the homes. You can also look at the government’s latest ‘Guidance on care home visiting’ by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus/update-on-policies-for-visiting-arrangements-in-care-homes.

We are enormously grateful to family and friends for their co-operation, and look forward to continuing to welcome you safely into our homes.