Information on COVID-19/Coronavirus
Published: 07/07/2020
Latest updates from Right at Home:
Monday 16 March 2020
We want to reassure our Clients and their families that we are taking proactive steps to ensure we have controls and contingency measures in place to help protect Clients and employees as best as we can. We are working closely with the relevant authorities, including the UK Home Care Association and care regulators and are monitoring the situation as it continues to develop. We are also providing regular updates to our CareGiver teams, who have all received robust training on infection prevention and control and we will continue to update our policies and procedures in line with official advice from the Government, with the best interests of our Clients and employees always front of mind.
It is important to keep up to date with developments, as official guidance is changing daily. For advice on Coronavirus symptoms and tips on prevention, please see below.
NHS Website - for health information and advice, read the NHS web pages.
GOV.UK - For latest guidance, information and updates visit the GOV website.
Tuesday 24 March 2020
Last night (Monday 23 March), the Prime Minister announced that the nation should stay at home in order to reduce day-to-day contact with other people. This has been put into place to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and the number of people becoming infected. During his address, the Prime Minister introduced three key measures:
- Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes or for those classed as key workers
- Closing non-essential shops and community spaces
- Stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public
Every citizen must comply with these new measures. You can read about each of these and what they entail.
As key workers, we can and will continue to serve the most vulnerable in our communities so they can remain living safely in their own home. We are continuing to follow the Government’s guidance and updating our policies and procedures accordingly and we remain in close contact with our Clients and care teams to keep them informed of the situation as it unfolds. There’s no doubt that the coming weeks and months are going to be challenging.
We know how important social interaction is to our mental health and wellbeing so think about ways you can continue to communicate with people that you would usually visit face-to-face. There are lots of free apps you can use such as FaceTime, Zoom or Skype to communicate with multiple people during a single call and this handy article from the BBC provides suggestions for keeping in touch with older relatives virtually. Mental health charity Mind has also put together helpful advice and guidance on taking care of your mental health and wellbeing during isolation. Whilst staying indoors, it’s also important to keep your brain active, with activities such as Sudoku, puzzles and jigsaws, rather than watching TV all day.
Exercise is also strongly encouraged, as this releases endorphins which can improve your mood. There are hundreds of exercise videos on YouTube which will allow you to exercise in your own home or garden. Now is the time where we can all play our part to help our communities. By following the Government’s new measures, we are providing a safer environment for our key workers to continue serving those who need support the most during this challenging time.
Other useful links:
Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak:
How to look after your mental wellbeing while staying at home:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-tips/
Friday 3 April 2020
Keeping our Clients safe.
We understand that this is a worrying time and you will be concerned about your loved ones but we want to provide you with peace of mind that we are doing everything we can to keep our Clients safe and comfortable at home. Read our blog here.
Mental health and wellbeing.
Your mental health and wellbeing should always be a priority but during these challenging times, where we are spending the majority, if not all of our time indoors, it’s more important than ever to look after yourself and look out for others. Read our blog, 'Maintaining your mental health and wellbeing whilst isolated at home', which includes six key tips for maintaining mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Wednesday 29 April 2020
We understand that this is a worrying time for families who are concerned about the health and safety of their loved ones requiring care. We want to reassure our Clients and their families that we are doing everything we can during this difficult time to continue providing the safe, high-quality care we are known for.
By sharing some of our frequently asked questions around homecare during the coronavirus, we hope this will help to put your mind at ease.
Is it still safe for my loved one to receive homecare?
We have been asked this a lot and the answer is yes. We have been and will continue to be closely following Public Health England’s guidelines around Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are updating our policies and procedures accordingly to ensure the safety of both our Clients and our CareGivers.
Please also be assured that we have a solid supply route for PPE, so our CareGivers have everything they need to keep both themselves and your loved ones as safe as possible.
All of our CareGivers have received robust training on COVID-19 infection prevention and control, handwashing and the safe use and removal of required PPE. Our CareGivers will clean any surfaces that they have touched during their visit and disinfect their face visors after every care call.
If my loved one is self-isolating/shielding, can they receive care from Right at Home?
Yes – following the guidelines mentioned above and wearing the required PPE, we can continue delivering care safely to those who require our services, including those who are in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ category, as defined by the Government.
What services can you support my loved one with during lockdown?
For us, it’s still very much business as usual and as such, we are continuing to provide the same trusted homecare services we normally would. This is anything from companionship, meal preparation and medication reminders, through to light housekeeping, running errands and dementia care.
For Clients who are shielding or self-isolating, our care teams can pick up shopping using dedicated hours at the supermarkets and collect prescriptions so Clients can avoid unnecessary contact with others.
We also offer specialist care to those with conditions that require additional expertise or specialist equipment, such as neuromuscular disorders, spinal injuries and cancer care.
For those with loved ones who require one-to-one support, we also offer 24-hour live-in care where a CareGiver lives with the Client. This service enables Clients to remain living in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible.
For more information on our services and how we can support you and your family, please click here.
I’m considering care for my loved one, can you still take on new Clients at this time?
Yes – Right at Home can continue to undertake care assessments and new Client packages. All of our care packages are highly-personalised and tailored to meet individual needs. We pride ourselves on being able to respond to urgent care needs with speed but without compromising on standards. We have measures in place to support families with completing a new care assessment and are on hand every step of the way.
What can I do to support my community during the coronavirus outbreak?
First and foremost, following the Government’s instructions around social distancing and staying at home will provide a safer environment for our CareGivers to travel to and from our Clients’ homes.
Secondly, if you would like to help us support those most vulnerable in your local community, why not consider becoming a Right at Home CareGiver? Our care teams are doing an outstanding job keeping Clients safe and connected during this difficult time and you could be too. Find out more about becoming a Right at Home CareGiver.
You can also play your part by checking in with relatives and neighbours to make sure they have the essentials they need but also to check how they are feeling. For people who live alone, self-isolating/shielding can be a very lonely time and you may be the only person they talk to that day or even that week. For more information on maintaining mental health and wellbeing whilst isolating, click here.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01270 257 347.
We can support you to stay safe, Right at Home.
Friday 3 July 2020
As lockdown measures continue to ease across England, our local communities will see a number of businesses reopening to the public from tomorrow (4 July). This includes cafés, hairdressers, museums and places of worship.
We are here to support Clients, where it is safe to do so, to get out into the community, whether that’s to meet with family and friends, get some much-needed fresh air or enjoy some light exercise. Social isolation has been an increasing problem during lockdown and we cannot underestimate the importance of social interaction and exercise on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. At the same time, this must be balanced with staying safe and following the rules put in place by the Government to protect ourselves and our communities during this pandemic.
Our number one priority has been and will always be, the safety of our Clients and CareGivers and we will continue to monitor and adhere to the Government’s advice on social distancing measures when accompanying Clients on visits outside of their home.
If you would like more information on how we are supporting Clients during this challenging time or would like to discuss how we can support you or a family member, please call 01270 257 347.
Wednesday 23 September 2020
Yesterday (Tuesday 22 September 2020), the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced tighter measures to address the rising number of coronavirus cases here in England. The full list of new measures can be viewed here.
The Government’s expectation is that these new measures will need to remain in place until March 2021. For those most vulnerable, this could once again result in going for prolonged periods of time without seeing their family and friends face-to-face. We know these new measures will concern many families, particularly if they live far away from their loved one. Please rest assured that we will continue to do our utmost to ensure our Clients are getting the support and comfort they need during this difficult time.
As we have mentioned in our previous updates, social interaction and exercise is incredibly important for a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Where it is safe to do so and whilst continuing to follow the new measures in place, we will support our Clients to get out of their home and into the community, if they wish.
We will continue to follow Government and Public Health England guidance and update our practices accordingly, whilst closely monitoring the situation at a local level.
If you would like further advice or guidance on how we can support your loved one through the pandemic, please call 01270 257 347.
COVID-19 Office Risk Assessment
Every employer has a legal responsibility to protect employees and others from risks to their health and safety and to do everything reasonably practicable to minimise the risk, whilst also recognising that they cannot completely eliminate the risk that COVID-19 poses. To see our risk assessment click here.
