Home About Us Care Rehab Life Specialisms Contact Blog Covid-19 Updates COVID-19 Updates Staying safe as things change Information correct as at 10th November 2021 Thank you to everyone who has been patient with us and supported us as our policy has evolved to take heed of the unfolding situation across the UK and also specifically at Askham. Caring for all at Askham: Visiting policy For relatives: Cambridgeshire has become an ‘Enhanced Response Area’ for Covid-19 due to the rising rates in the area which is putting pressure on a number of services. This status will last at least 5 weeks from 1st November and we will see enhanced public health measures during this time. As a result of this heightened risk we will be making the following changes to our visiting policy effective from Monday 8th November: Resident visits to be in single household groups only A maximum of two visits per resident per week Bookings for visits to take place one at a time – you can only book your next visit once the current visit has taken place (with the exception of Christmas visits see below) Lead Nurse discretion on the number of visits to the home per day, depending on what else is going on, other visiting professionals for example Please work with us on this and book in advance to avoid disappointment. We hope you understand our intent with these adjustments – by making small changes to reduce exposure to risk we can navigate our way safely through the next few weeks. Note: We will be revising our policy to welcome visits on the two bank holidays 27th and 28th December. The protected days will now only be 24th, 25th, and 26th. As a reminder of our rationale for this: we will not be able to safely accommodate large numbers of visits all wishing to visit Askham at similar times and we are concerned about the risk of transmission arising from dense visiting. The reason we are planning ahead from now is that we are learning the lessons from last year. We are keen to enable families to plan accordingly to avoid the last minute nature of the 2020 Christmas policy change from government which led to significant disappointment for many. We appreciate that the government and indeed all of us are hoping that this Christmas will not see restrictions, however we are looking at the situation in the hospitals and in the county and can see a potentially bleak picture. Please note: • visits do still need to be pre-booked with Lead Nurse and there will be a limited number; where you can arrange alternative dates to visit around this period please do • visit slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis to ensure we do not have large numbers of family members arriving simultaneously • there may be some exceptions as we give priority as we always have done to those who have specific clinical needs requiring visitation • we will keep this and all aspects of our visiting policy under review over coming weeks and will inform relatives if any changes are required Following our relatives survey and the relatives meeting on 26th July 2021 our visitors policy for relatives effective 2nd August 2021 is now as follows: Residents can have upto five people from one household visiting at any one time, and of these five at least one person should be a Named visitor, known to Askham, who has attended the Askham Infection Control training Visits should be pre booked with the relevant home There is no fixed cap on the length of the visit, however we ask visitors to respect the wishes of the nurse on the shift who will manage visits according to the needs at the time Visitors should provide evidence of a negative LFT test taken on the day of the visit and will have their temperature checked on arrival to ensure no high fever is present Visitors will be expected to wear PPE and have limited close contact during the visit Refreshments will not be provided by the home Visits will be unsupervised Doors and windows should remain open as much as possible Lateral Flow Testing: Tests can be accessed from a local pharmacy or by ordering them online here. Walk in centres are also being set up in various places. More details on testing sites etc is here. Results for any tests taken should be logged here. A positive result should be checked with a PCR test, and the individual must commence isolation and follow government guidelines. Please do not come to Askham if you have had a positive result. Infection Control training: This is required by all Named Visitors and Essential Visitors to Askham. Training can be booked with Michelle Barker (michelle.barker@askhamvillagecommunity.com). Infection Control training (dates): November Tuesday 2nd November 6-7pm Tuesday 9th November 6-7pm Tuesday 16th November 6-7pm Tuesday 23rd November 6-7pm Tuesday 30th November 6-7pm December Tuesday 7th December 6-7pm Tuesday 21st December 6-7pm January 2022 Tuesday 4th January 6-7pm Toilets and refreshments: Each home will make a toilet available to essential and named visitors, however please only use these facilities if needed. Refreshments will continue to not be available to visitors. We will continue to review our visitors policy accordingly and will keep you updated. Can we take this opportunity to thank you for your continued cooperation and look forward to welcoming you back to Askham. Download Visitors briefing For professionals: We are limiting the number of people entering into resident quarters within each unit on site which means restricting visits – especially by those who have high exposure to other care settings or in hospitals. If you are unsure if a planned visit to Askham is essential, please ring ahead. We will evaluate on a case by case basis. We are arranging many meetings to take place by video or phone conference. Download Service personnel briefing Reducing risk of spreading infection: Public access The café at Askham will be closed until further notice. Large gatherings / events at Askham are being put on hold for the current time. This includes Relatives meetings which are being planned to take place virtually. A reminder of safe practice Please wash hands for 20 seconds regularly. Avoid direct contact with other people – wherever possible remain at 2m. Wear a face mask if you anticipate coming within 2m of other people. Please do not visit Askham if: In the last 14 days, you have come into contact with anyone who has confirmed positive for the virus You yourself have had a fever, a cough, a loss of sense of smell or taste at any time during the last 10 days Any member of your family has had a fever, a cough, a loss of sense of smell or taste at any time during the last 10 days Please ring 111 and visit the Public Health England or NHS websites for advice. Askham Village Community 01354 740269 info@askhamvillagecommunity.com 13 Benwick Rd, Doddington, March, Cambridgeshire. 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