Notes from recent Relatives meeting held on 13th April 2021

Present:

Paul Mossmon, Diana Lefevre, Linda Robinson, Trevor Norris, David Nunn, Martin Godfrey, Richard Friend, Roger George, Sue Kightly, Lyn Harrison Smith, Anne Appleby, Mumtaz Suleman, Deborah Law, Maureen Davis, Micheal Chambers, Keith Dennis, Elissa MacDonald, Chris Smith, Kat Coutts, Eric Birch, Ismat, Michael and Rosemary Scott, Ian and Sandra Russell, Michelle Sage, Bill Haylock, Anju Antony, Bev Contaoi, Isaac Ajibade, Keren Loxley, Maz Godwin, Luke Cook, Salma Giga, Jo Monaghan, Karen Presland, Adrian Johnson, Aliyyah Nasser

Notes:

Introduction:

Welcome to all those who have recently joined Askham, we keep these meetings open and informal so please ask questions through the discussion. Please stay on mute when not talking.

Feedback or questions:

Various questions raised regarding visiting, vaccines, testing, training. All covered in the subsequent agenda items.

C-19 Update:

We are currently clear of Covid at Askham among both staff and residents, and have been for many weeks now. Staff are all testing regularly (a minimum of once per week with a PCR test, twice per week with an LFT); some staff are testing more frequently if based on risk assessment there is a reason to do this. Residents have all been vaccinated with both first and second doses. Newer residents are being vaccinated as soon as possible with the local GP. Residents and staff have had a mixture of the Pfizer and the AZ vaccine; relatives who would like to know the specifics for their resident should ask the Lead for that information.

Staff vaccinations are progressing well; we have 9 staff members who have refused to get the vaccine and we are working with them on a one-to-one basis to encourage them to obtain the vaccine. At present we can not legally force people to have the vaccine, nor can we make it a retrospective condition of employment. Our goal is 100% uptake, excluding the handful of staff who can not have the vaccine for medical reasons and we also participate in forums and lobbying where needed to effect change to policies on these matters. A number of relatives expressed concern about unvaccinated staff and queried whether they can request their resident not to be supported by those staff. At present we can not legally discriminate however we are staying close to how this may evolve.

We have had Infection Control focussed inspections in Askham Hall, House, Court and Grove – all inspections have gone well and the CQC have confirmed that we are doing all that we should be doing with regards to being Covid safe.

Visitors Policy:

We are pleased to be able to start to open up to allow more visitors into the homes, however we need to do so in a safe manner; we will continue to take it slowly. In accordance with government guidance we will have three categories of visitor:

1. Essential visitors. These are visitors that are required in order to meet the clinical needs of the resident. Essential visitors will be allowed to visit the home as frequently as is required to meet the needs of the resident, including during an outbreak, and will be required to do a weekly PCR test as well as twice weekly LFTs. Essential visitors are required to attend Infection Control training. Specific engagement of Essential visitors will be discussed on a one to one basis.
2. Named visitors. Each resident can select up to 2 named visitors who can visit them weekly on pre-booked visits of up to 30 minutes. PPE is to be worn during the visit. The named visitor does not have to remain 2m away but can have closer personal contact for example holding hands is permitted. We advise close contact to be kept to a minimum. Named visitors must attend infection control training and provide evidence of a negative LFT from the day of the visit. Named visitors will be issued with a box of tests to do these at home before they come to Askham. Tests can also 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.
3. Other visitors. Any individual who is not a named or essential visitor but wishes to visit a resident at Askham can do so in a socially distant manner. Visits should be pre-booked with the Lead Nurse and should be no more than 30 minutes. These visits should take place outdoors in the grounds, alternatively at the doorway to the residents room or in the designated visiting space – whichever is deemed the lowest risk by the nurse in charge. Social distance is to be respected at all times and masks are to be worn.

Training can be booked with Michelle Barker (michelle.barker@askhamvillagecommunity.com) and is available on 15th April, 16th April, 21st April, 22nd April, 29th April at 3.30pm for one hour on Zoom. Thank you to those who have attended thus far, feedback has been broadly positive.

There will be specific scenarios that present to individual families, please bear with us as we are also working out the optimal, safe way to move forward with opening up. Ultimately the most important aspect of this is personal responsibility – respect the government guidance with regards to hand, face, space and consider your own exposure to the virus when planning a visit to Askham. Specific scenarios discussed:

• If a relative has had Covid, there is no need to have a test until 90 days after the positive result. As long as the 14 day contagious period has passed and symptoms are no longer evident a visit should be fine. Details and specific dates will need to be provided to the Lead / Manager so this can documented and risk assessed prior to a visit being confirmed.
• At present there is no requirement for visitors to be vaccinated, this may be something we consider in the future once vaccines are more widely available for all ages.
• Some family members in the past came to visit and join for a meal etc, at present this would not be permitted

We will take it slowly over the coming days so please do call to book in your visits however please work with us on timing as we will not be able to accommodate everyone at the same time. We need to manage this carefully and sensitively to ensure we continue to tread the fine line between re-uniting families and remaining safe. At Askham we continue to have a cautious approach to visiting and risk assessment will guide our thinking.

As we have done throughout the pandemic, there will be individual circumstances which will need exceptions and will need a person centred / risk assessed approach. For the most part we will follow the policy as discussed however the Leads and Managers have the discretion to make decisions if specific situations arise which warrant this. All will be documented and recorded in the residents care plan.

Other updates:

Recruitment: Ongoing at Askham and we welcome any recommendations!

Activities: There has been plenty going on and we have a full few weeks ahead planned. We are not yet in a position to invite relatives to participate.

AOB:

Communication: Where there is a challenge with phone connectivity we will explore this and find a solution to resolve. Anyone who is looking to purchase a phone for a resident please check with us first as some networks are better than others at Askham.