UPDATED POLICY IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Swimbridge House Nursing Home is committed to ensuring that we keep all our residents and staff as safe as possible.

We are doing everything within our ability and resources to prevent spreading of this highly contagious virus in order to keep our residents and staff safe and healthy.

Every care home resident can have ‘named visitors’ who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits. Every resident also has the opportunity to nominate an essential care giver; they are allowed to visit during outbreaks or periods of isolation. The Home is allowing visits in our ‘garden room’, and inside the home if there is no Covid outbreak.

If you would like to arrange a visit, please call the home and speak to Nic or Claire P (Monday – Friday during office hours). All visitors will require to do a fast Covid test (LFD test, which we provide), wear appropriate PPE, have a temperature check and complete a questionnaire. Visits inside the Home are also allowed, based on individual assessments of risks and needs.

Provisions for alternative forms of communication for families and friends are also still available (such as telephone or video calling by WhatsApp). For essential and critical visits, please contact Claire Atkinson, the Registered Manager of the Home prior to coming so we can carry out the appropriate risk assessment.

From 11 November 2021 we only allow individuals to enter the home who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (or exempt), which includes all our staff. This mandatory vaccination does not include residents, friends or relatives of the resident, individuals providing emergency assistance or urgent maintenance, individuals visiting residents who are end-of-life and the under 18s.

Visits from the local community and external entertainment are still cancelled for the foreseeable future and our internal Activity Co-ordinators, along with our Staff will do all they can to ensure that life in our Home remains as comfortable and sociable as possible.

For potential new admissions, please contact the Registered Manager of the Home prior to coming so we can carry out the appropriate risk assessment.

We would really appreciate your support with these measures, and please be reassured that we are closely following and complying with the Public Health England authorities to ensure that we keep our residents safe, and that our staff are supported to continue to deliver high level care.

Obviously, we shall keep the families informed of ongoing events and possible changes in our policy through our website and emails.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times.

With kind regards,