COVID-19 -19th OCTOBER 2020 - Visting By Appointment
Once again, thank you so much to all families, friends and visitors for the understanding, patience and cooperation you have demonstrated since we resumed limited visiting at Westerleigh.
Westerleigh Nursing Home eased visiting restrictions on 13th July 2020, earlier than a great many homes. Please let me reassure you of our commitment to keeping the Visitor’s Charter under review and relaxing measures as soon as it is safe to do so.
We undertake reviews using information and guidance from a range of sources including the Director of Public Health. This guidance states that the first priority continues to be to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in care homes and prevent future outbreaks as well as to ensure the health and safety of both care workers and residents.
It states that Directors of Public Health and care providers follow the guidance to ensure policies for visiting arrangements and decisions are based on a dynamic risk assessment and that this requires consideration of:
- Circumstances of the individual care home (staffing levels, resident demographics and conditions and outbreak status)
- local situations (including levels of community transmission of COVID19 and outbreaks and exposure risk relating to different high-risk settings)
Last month we extended visiting to two named family members providing the opportunity to visit singly or together.
This month we are pleased to welcome you in from the cold with visits facilitated in our reminiscence lounge.
Our flu vaccination programme is now underway for consenting staff and residents. Additionally, we are now undertaking COVID-19 testing of the staff each week and residents every four weeks.
David Briant
Registered Manager
