COVID-19

Coronavirus information.

Admissions

Our admission procedures during this time have been revised to ensure that we keep our existing residents safe.

  1. Anyone who is admitted will be required to be tested 24hrs prior to their admission to Aspen Place.
  2. On admission the new resident will be taken immediately to their bedroom and kept under strict isolation and observation for 14 days.
  3. The new resident will undergo the basic screening and infection control procedures such as taking their temperature, full body wash, laundering all their clothes and disinfecting all their belongings.

Infection Control

We have adopted the highest and most stringent standards of infection control practices.

  1. Temperature Screening for all staff and visitors
  2. Supervised Hand washing
  3. Controlled deep cleaning and sanitation progamme carried out daily
  4. Staff cohorted to certain work areas
  5. Staff uniform laundered in house
  6. Separate ‘scrubbing in’ building for staff
  7. Isolation facilities for staff
  8. Prohibit the use of agency staff
  9. Provision of comprehensive PPE items

Temperature Screening

All staff have their temperature taken and recorded 3 times a day

All residents have their temperature taken twice daily.

Isolation & Barrier Nursing

All new admissions will be required to isolate and remain in their bedrooms for a period 14 days.

Our staff are fully trained in Barrier Nursing to contain any actual infection risk to a certain area or bedroom.

Should there be any number confirmed cases of Covid amongst the residents then we be moving them to a specific isolation unit created within the home.

PPE

We have had a sufficient supply of PPE from the very outset. In order to provide our staff with the best possible protection to stop the spread of the virus we arranged for shipments to be brought in very early on and before the struggle for the limited stock available in this country became a huge challenge.

We provide the following for our staff:

  • KN95 Face Masks
  • Face Visors
  • Gloves
  • Aprons
  • Full body hooded Gowns
  • Hair Nets
  • Shoe Covers
  • Eye Goggles

Staffing

At most times we have managed to maintain a safe and effective level of staffing throughout the outbreak period. This was achieved, as it is normally, by the team coming together and putting in those extra hours.

This teamwork also helped to avoid the use of any agency staff.

Covid Training

In addition to our regular training programme for our staff which includes Infection Control, every single member of our team has undergone specific training on Covid 19 which covers the following:

  • Signs & Symptoms
  • How the virus spreads
  • Personal Hygiene
  • Isolating
  • Testing

Covid Testing programme

As soon as the Covid Testing Portal for care homes went live we began accessing it; testing both residents and staff.

We continue to follow a programme of periodic testing with the aim of proactively managing any potential outbreaks.

Doctor & Health Visits

With the restrictions in place on face to face visits from health professionals, GPs and other clinicians are carrying out assessments virtually over video calls.

Other non-essential in person health visits are still not allowed.

Visiting

It is so sad to see our residents being kept apart from those who are important to them.

Aspen Place took the very early decision to close its doors to anyone but staff and anything but pure essentials. This was to protect everyone from the virus.

When we are able, we will offer visits to families and friends, though this will depend on guidance and legislation in place at the time, as well as the status of our residents and staff.  This can change relatively quickly, but we will endeavour to keep everyone updated by email.

Hugs & Kisses

Unfortunately, until we are in a position that we can be totally safe and from no risk of this virus spreading to any of our residents we cannot allow any physical contact.

Gifts & Cards

We are consciously trying to limit the number of items being brought into the home.

Boxes and packaging holding essential products such as food and medication is carefully disinfected before being put into our storage.

We cannot accept gifts at the moment and would prefer that cards, letters and photos are sent to us electronically so that we can print these off in house.

Residents wishing to go out

We cannot put our residents in a position that they are exposed to others in the public.

So, time spent out in the fresh air is limited to our garden space only for the time being.

End of Life Visits

We have a separate End of Life Visiting protocol which is under the Registered Manager’s discretion.

Currently we can allow one member of the family a 15-minute bedside visit which will have certain safety conditions imposed.