​Plans to allow visits to relatives in care homes

Residents could soon be allowed to visit relatives in care homes under plans being drawn up by health and social care leaders.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the further restrictions brought in for the whole of Greater Manchester, families and friends have been unable to visit loved ones in Bury care homes.

Until now the Government has only allowed visits in ‘exceptional’ circumstances. Bury Council and colleagues across Greater Manchester including care providers, directors of adult social care and directors of public health, have been working to expand the definition of ‘exceptional circumstances’ to include the impact of the length of time since residents and relatives have seen each other and so establish a safe way to re-introduce a level of visiting.

The council has now been advised that, where an appropriate and robust risk assessment is carried out and signed off, that window visits and those in garden pods or similar are allowed under the current Tier guidelines. Visits would be strictly limited to a nominated carer or family member.

There are 56 care homes across Bury, with 1,244 residents.

It will be the responsibility of each home to carry out the risk assessments, supported by the council’s Provider Relationship and Infection Control teams, and the risk assessments will be reviewed and approved by the Director of Public Health.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “People living in care homes are among the most vulnerable in society to being seriously affected by Covid-19, and it is only right that we take all possible measures to prevent them from contracting this potentially fatal virus.

“However, we also know how heartbreaking it is for residents not to receive visits, and for family members unable to see their elderly relatives, in some cases for weeks or months at a time.

“We’ve been working very hard with our partners in health and social care across Greater Manchester to allow visits to take place while obeying the law and keeping the risk of infection to a minimum.

“We are passionate about supporting our residents and understand how important meaningful visits are, and are working with our care providers on the risk assessments and sign-off process so we can implement these visits as soon as possible.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 26 October 2020.