Background
At Andrew Care Ltd we are used to dealing with viral outbreaks such as ‘normal’ flu and norovirus, and have long established infection control measures to protect our residents, staff and visitors from the spread of infection.
These measures already include good hand washing regimes, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols for self-isolation and minimising social contact, business interruption plans to manage issues with our supply chains, and lastly training for all staff on how to manage infection control.
In every case of viral outbreaks to date, we have been able to control and eradicate the outbreaks quickly, and re-open our homes swiftly where we have had to close them temporarily to non-essential visitors.
Current Measures
The speed of transmission of Covid 19 has taken the world by surprise. In February we formed a steering group to manage Andrew Care Ltd.’s response to the challenges we would face. This group, chaired by me, discuss daily the changes to the guidance and advice from the Government and Public Health England and also the issues which are facing the healthcare sector more widely.
These discussions are held daily at 9.30am, and the decisions taken, and any changes to existing Andrew Care Ltd policies and guidance, are cascaded to the homes as soon as possible, and most often on a same day basis.
The measures initiated so far include:
- Numerous enhanced and updated policies and guidance for dealing with coronavirus
- Early ordering of additional food and supplies including PPE for our homes.
- Increased and focused cleaning and disinfecting regimes.
- Enhanced entry requirements for all staff and visitors including compulsory hand washing, temperature checking and completion of health self-certification forms.
We have also taken the decision to restrict non-essential visitors to Andrew Care Ltd such as normal family visits, as well as suspending group activities and external trips for our residents. We very much hope these measures are temporary and we will remove the restrictions as soon as we are able to.
If you do have an essential need to visit Argyle, such as where your family member is receiving palliative care, please contact the Home Manager.
In all cases, visitors will be asked to undertake the health protection measures mentioned above, and the visit may be restricted to specific areas of the home or at specific times.
Thank you for your help and understanding in these challenging times, but please be assured that the health and well-being of our residents and staff is our paramount concern at all times, particularly now.
Yours sincerely
Ann Andrew
Company Director
Andrew Care Ltd