Opening up for the elderly: ensuring safe care as lockdown eases
Published: 01/04/2020
How the elderly can enjoy new freedoms with the correct at home care
One of the few positives to have happened over the past year is the speed and success of the NHS Covid vaccination roll out since early December 2020. As I write this the UK Covid related mortality rate is down to the teens, a far cry from the frightening numbers seen in mid-February. And while we shouldn’t be off our guard, I believe we all have cause for optimism.
That optimism extends to those who are elderly, need extra care or who are at risk.
Before talking a little more about that I thought it was worth reflecting on how far we have come in a relatively short space of time. Consider for a moment that just 12 months ago a vaccine of any kind was considered a pipe dream, yet by December 8th the NHS had begun to vaccinate the over 80’s with one of two fully tested and approved vaccines. It is a phenomenal achievement.
And if we look where we are now, at Easter2021, nearly half the UK population has been vaccinated with a first dose while 3.5 million second dose jabs have already been administered *.
What that means in practice is that all elderly and vulnerable people have received a first dose (unless they chose not to or couldn’t for clinical reasons) and that well over one quarter of over 80’s have already received a second dose**.
Maintaining exemplary standards
However, we are acutely aware that letting down our guard could still risk the health of our elderly or vulnerable clients. Therefore, as a responsible carer we continue to take safety measures extremely seriously so our clients can enjoy an improved quality of life.
The headline hygiene measures we take include:
- Testing all staff for Covid-19 on a weekly basis
- Ensuring our carers are vaccinated, currently 90% have received a first dose – those who are yet to be vaccinated are tested twice a week
- Practicing exemplary hygiene at all times, including handwashing every time a carer enters a client’s home
- Always wearing PPE including clinical quality masks when in the client’s home – we even conduct spot checks
Finally, because we cater for the elderly the best news is that all of our clients have had their first dose of vaccine and many have recently had their second, indeed many have been assisted by their Right At Home carer to attend their vaccination appointment, while others received theirs at home.
For both the elderly client and the carers themselves the knowledge that they have been vaccinated provides a huge amount of reassurance, and now that the country is opening up a little it means that whenever they leave their home, they have the confidence that their chances of contracting Covid-19 are minimal.
Safe care, mental and physical stimulation in and out of the home
For many elderly people the opportunities provided by a combination of vaccination, easing of restrictions and dedicated carers means their lives can change for the positive.
NICE, (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)*** recommends that older people should participate in activities that stimulate and motivate them, but the pandemic has made this very difficult to achieve.
Fortunately, over the last year we’ve been assisting thousands of people within their homes, adding the stimulation they need, but now we are all looking forward to some of the opportunities that are opening up.
These can be simple for example, leaving the house with the assistance of their carer for the first time in many months will be an event in itself. Now we can help elderly clients to get out and to enjoy springtime the positive effects on their mental and physical health will be powerful.
The opportunity to meet a friend or a family member, or to be taken on a journey to enjoy a garden or park is something that many of our clients have been looking forward to. It’s something we understand will improve the quality of their lives and therefore their health and wellbeing.
We’re committed to helping our elderly clients embrace these new opportunities, and we can reassure all of our clients and their families that all of our staff are committed to maintaining the high standards of safety that we practice every day.
The country, indeed the world has been on a roller coaster journey over the past year and I’m sure there will be many holes in the road before we’re finally free to resume the lives we previously enjoyed. But my team and I are totally committed to helping all of our clients to safely make the most of every opportunity that arises.
*Source: UK Government https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/
**Source: NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
***Source: NICE Promoting positive mental wellbeing for older people https://www.nice.org.uk/about/nice-communities/social-care/quick-guides/promoting-positive-mental-wellbeing-for-older-people
