Care during COVID-19

Our Approach & FAQs

Despite the current challenging circumstances surrounding COVID-19, at Fleet Valley Care Home we are working hard to keep everything as normal as possible for residents.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our residents and staff are always our top priorities, and our team are working around the clock to continue to provide the high levels of care as expected of our home. We are pleased to remain free from COVID-19 at this time.

While the world may have changed for the moment, the need for care and companionship has not, in particular when faced with isolation, loneliness and potential irregularity in care provision due to social distancing and lockdown restrictions. That is why throughout this time we have been continuing to welcome enquiries and safely admit new residents to our home.

Here we have pulled together some answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions. However, we are always happy to answer any individual queries you may have: please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We are all doing well and are proud to say we do not have COVID-19 in our home.

Yes – at Fleet Valley, our staff have access to PPE as and when required.

We have always had the ability to admit new residents into the home. As per current legislation, we would close to admissions when there was suspect or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the home.

The Legislation remains the same in that all Care Homes are closed to non- essential visits; this does not change when we begin to accept new admission.

At present, we are on visitation lockdown which means there are no visits within the home, however you can still visit your loved one outdoors or  via window visits. We also facilitate online communication, which we appreciate has been instrumental in helping keep families in touch.

Throughout this time we will continue to safely admit new residents, with additional procedures in place to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our current residents and staff.

Any new admission from hospital will require to have two negative tests prior to the agreed admission date. Any other new admissions will require to have at least one negative test. All new residents will be required to isolate for 14 days, however at the home we use this time to help our residents familiarise themselves with the home and the team. They are greatly supported by our team every day including set up of activities to make the most of your day and time at the home.

As you would expect our priority will always be to maintain safety. New guidelines have now been set in place around how we progress through the stages of admission and discharge, and we will always follow the guidelines to enable a safe transfer to our home or those who may be leaving.

The guidelines indicate that we monitor all staff for any symptomatic presentation daily. Staff are currently receiving weekly testing for COVID-19 to ensure anyone working at the home always remains safe to carry out their duties. Staff also have access to PPE as and when required.

At Fleet Valley, all staff have a good understanding of the characteristics of COVID-19 and its transmission and the principles of Infection Prevention and control.

We work in partnership with the friends and family of our residents, and we would ask you to carefully consider making any decisions before discussing them with a senior member of our team. We can offer support and guidance around any implications of decision(s) made and the affects for your relative. Regardless of how you decide to progress, we would continue to support and guide and where possible, offer alternative solutions.

Please continue to be reassured that all the actions we are taking, have taken, and will take in the future, have reflected the most current guidance and advice published by the UK Government and Public Health (Scotland).

The team have been providing your loved ones with social interaction by continuing to connect residents in creative ways, whilst respecting social distancing guidance.  We will continue to use technology platforms such as FaceTime and Skype to ensure the much-valued engagement continues.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our residents and their families for their continued support during this difficult time, in addition to the support of our local community.