Family members are queuing up to visit their loved ones inside Roseleigh again after indoor visits resumed – over 12 months after they had to be stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the Government announced that one visitor per resident would be allowed inside care homes from 8th March, we rushed to complete work on our new garden room/conservatory extension where the visits can safely take place.
In the meantime, family members were still able to see and speak (via microphone) to their relatives in our visitor pod.
The work on the garden room was completed at the beginning of April and visits started immediately.
This meant Ken Stevenson was able to speak and hold hands with his wife Fran, who came to Roseleigh in March 2021.
He said: “It has been difficult not being able to see Fran properly since she came to Roseleigh, although the pod visits were the next best thing.
“But being able to see her close up and even better, holding her hand, was lovely.”
Before Ken could see Fran, he had to follow procedures put in place by Roseleigh and which followed Government guidance.
This meant being given a rapid flow testing kit at the entrance to Roseleigh and waiting for 30 minutes until it returned a negative result.
Ken then had to put on a mask, plastic gloves, and apron before being walking around the back of the home and into the garden room to see Fran.
He added: “I totally understand the need to be safe like this, and I didn’t mind at all as it enabled me to see Fran.
Rachel Lowery, Manager of Roseleigh Care Home, said: “As soon as we knew visits which allowed more personal contact inside the home would be permitted, we completed work on the extension as soon as possible.
“It means we now have a dedicated area for visits like this to take place, and we couldn’t be happier to see people back in Roseleigh on a regular basis again.”
Currently, three visits are taking place in the new room each day, along with one pod visit. This is because after each visit, both rooms need to be fully sanitised.
And as restrictions are lifted further, the home is ready to adapt to the latest Government guidance.
Rachel added: “It’s been a very tough year for everyone, but the vast majority of staff and residents have now had their second vaccinations, with the remaining ones having their jabs very soon.
“This gives everyone more peace of mind and with regular indoor visits now also happening, we’re definitely starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
