NEW VISITING REGULATIONS 22/5/2021
*As the rules have relaxed, we are now allowed 5 named visitors for every resident at Coombe who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits (and will be able to visit together or separately as preferred).
To reduce the risk of infection residents can have no more than 2 visitors at a time over the course of one day.
ONLY A BUREAUCRAT COULD HAVE DREAMED THIS UP!!
5 may be named, only 2 can visit in a day, any 2 of the 5 named, 2 together or 1 in the morning and one in the afternoon, but not all 5 together, except in the garden, when the 5 will make 6 with their loved one!
Follow this if you can! If not phone us and we’ll work it out!
* To keep Coombe House safe, named visitors:
- will be tested using rapid lateral flow tests prior to their visit, visit will go on, providing that the test result comes back NEGATIVE.
- should wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), maintain social distancing and follow all other infection prevention and control measures which we will guide you on during visits
*Everyone is now able to order LFD tests from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
You can do your own lateral flow test before coming to Coombe or we can provide you a box of 7 tests to take home.
When registering your test result, please use our Unique Organisation Number (UON), which is 10112282 and our e-mail: office@coombe-house.org.uk, se we receive a confirmation about your test result.
Guidance, how to report your LFD test result, can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/981682/visitors-to-asc-settings-reporting-rapid-lfts-at-home-print-guidance.pdf
+ VISITING UPDATE APRIL 2021
+ VISITING UPDATE APRIL 2021
YOU CAN VISIT US !!
We are pleased to be able to welcome you again.
Two visitors can be identified for each family and those visitors should remain constant.
You will have to have a lateral flow test prior to the visit, which takes 30 minutes for a result
Visits indoors will be for half an hour. If you want to visit out of doors, you can stay longer
Full PPE will need to be worn throughout the visit; apron, gloves, mask
You can hold hands, but the government guidance says no close contact!
You can interpret that sensibly, I am sure.
Please ring to book your visit
Please ring us an hour before you are due, to confirm you are still visiting
Please be prepared to wait for your test result
I am afraid that if the test returns a positive result, you will NOT be allowed to visit, but we will then take a PCR test, which we will send off for you, and you must self-isolate until you have returned a negative result.
Please understand that no visitors will be allowed anywhere else in the building, no communal rooms or popping your head in the kitchen!!
One day this will all be over and just be a bad dream.
We have remained Covid free throughout this Pandemic, due to tremendous team diligence and sacrifice, so please help us to stay this way.
One day we will greet you at the back door with open arms again, and put the kettle on
PS: If you are happy to visit in the garden, then more of the family can visit.
We have a large disabled toilet sited in our car park for your comfort
+ Latest Lockdown, January 2021 Update
We had a full staff meeting today and the unanimous vote was to lockdown to visitors until all the staff and the people who live here are vaccinated.
Without exception, every member of the team has made personal sacrifices to keep Coombe safe, so it feels right to take their views into account.
All staff who are able, have had the first vaccination. The second dose is delayed, but all are booked in February
We are not sure when our residents will be vaccinated, but we hope it will be soon.
I hope you will understand that it may not be long to wait, even if you are very disappointed not to be able to visit at the moment.
We will make more time for Facetime and Zoom calls, and can initiate these ourselves if we ring you first to make sure you have time to talk.
If we are concerned that any of your family are unwell, we will keep in touch as always.
We welcome your calls after 11am and after 2 pm, when most of the hard work has been done and we can all relax a bit!
VISITING
When we can reintroudce visiting, please continue to email or telephone to book visiting “slots” as each checking in and out of visitors takes time.
We have been issued with the 30 minute result kits, but there is guidance with these tests:
‘While testing can reduce the risk associated with visiting, it does not completely remove the risk of infection. These tests should be used alongside robust Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, such as PPE, to safely maintain a balance between infection control and the vital benefits of visiting to the health and wellbeing of residents.’
When the tests are up and running, we can have 2 visitors from each family. You will be tested and will then have to wait in your car for 30 minutes until the test delivers a result. A bit like a pregnancy test.
I am afraid that if the test returns a positive result, you will NOT be allowed to visit, but we will then take a “proper” test and you must self-isolate until you have returned a negative result.
We will consider each family on their own merits. If your relative is frail and unable to go outside for a visit, depending on the ease of visiting his or her bedroom, we may consider a visit indoors. PPE will have to be worn at all times
We can’t consider visitors in any of our communal rooms, kitchen or bathrooms, sorry.
We have a large disabled toilet sited in our car park for the comfort of our outdoor staff and visitors.
Just wrap up warm, as some visits may still need to be outside
