To all our residents, relatives and friends,

COVID 19 (Coronavirus) – Update

There has been a real buzz of excitement and anticipation in our homes over the last few weeks due to the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine.  We are pleased to say that over half of our homes have now had their first dose of the vaccine and by the end of this week all our Yorkshire homes will have completed their first round.  I am sure you will agree that this is a huge step forward.

It has been heart-warming to see our staff and residents supporting each other and even holding hands as they are vaccinated together.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teams for their diligence in preparing for the vaccine and also to our GP surgeries, Registered Nurses and other local teams who have all been brilliant throughout.

The timescales are different in each region but we are hopeful that all our homes will have had their first dose by the end of the month.  We now understand that even just the first dose will offer a level of protection against Coronavirus after 21 days but we will of course keep you informed of the itinerary for the roll-out of the second dose.

Whilst we get over what is hopefully one of the final hurdles of this pandemic, we have taken the step to test every single member of our team, each day, prior to commencement of their shift.  These tests give a rapid result and in the event of a staff member testing positive, they will be required to isolate for the government stated period of 10 days and will only return to the home when they have a negative result.  Although this level of testing is not stipulated in the government guidance, we feel that this is necessary to give further peace of mind that our residents are protected to the very best of our ability.

I will keep you updated as the vaccination programme continues to roll out and in the meantime our homes remain open for visits from loved ones in our Covid-safe visiting rooms (subject to local guidelines and via appointment).

Thank you for your continued support and stay safe,

Kind regards,

Stacey Linn, Director, Ideal Carehomes