Whilst thinking about the health and well-being of staff and residents in care homes, it’s important to think about how Covid-19 has impacted the industry and what will be done going forward to maintain good levels of care and protection for all working within the healthcare sector. Due to elderly people being at a higher risk, the amount of interaction required between staff and residents, plus the number of absences of staff due to shielding, there were a lot of residents negatively affected by the virus either directly or indirectly.
Now, the latest operational guidance by Gov.UK, which was published on the 4th of August 2021, says all those working and residing within care homes are to be fully vaccinated, unless they are exempt under the regulations. The regulations will come into force by the 11th of November this year, with the last date for all those concerned to get their first jab being the 16th of September.
A care home under the CQC (Care Quality Commission) is regulated by a set of standards under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which includes a list of regulations such as: person-centred care, need for consent, safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatments and so on.
It’s also been a difficult time for residents when considering the social aspect, where they have had to deal with the lack of interaction and visitors, something which, thankfully, is now improving. Care homes would have had to find new ways to make sure that residents enjoy a safe and secure environment yet also find some way to keep them entertained. Being hampered by masks has most likely caused some confusion for residents, especially those with any Alzheimer’s or dementia symptoms/diagnosis. A smile can do a lot to brighten someone’s day and facemasks have caused a blockage in the way that staff are able to connect with their patients, which is one of the downsides of this virus and yet a necessary demand whilst we wait for Covid to pass.
It is still uncertain when we will be able to work without the full personal protection equipment but at least for the meantime we can take some comfort from these latest regulations being put in place, ensuring that everyone that needs to be vaccinated receives both vaccines within the specified time. Most importantly, it’s crucial that residents and staff feel safe and protected at this time and we get the clear information that we need from the relevant health care sources.
Our staff are dedicated to providing quality care to local, care and residential homes so please feel free to get in touch with us today to start working with us or to book in your next temporary staff member.
Give us a call on 01372 231007 or email us: enquiries@care101.uk
