OIC issue care home restrictions

Visiting restrictions to care homes in Orkney are in place following guidance from Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland to help delay the spread of COVID-19.

Friends and relatives are encouraged to stay in touch with residents via phone or digital means such as video messaging, text messaging and social media where possible.

Under the new visiting guidelines which have come into effect, OIC say:

• Anyone with a fever or a persistent cough should not visit.
• Children under the age of 12 should not visit.
• Visitations are reduced to two one-hour sessions — one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Get in touch with your resident’s care home for visiting times.
• Only one person to visit at a time.
• Visitors should only visit one resident at a time.
• Visitors should wash their hands or use hand gel when entering and leaving the building.

If a resident becomes very unwell, OIC will discuss lifting the restrictions on visitation with family members.

OIC say: “We would like to reassure you that all measures are being taken to ensure that our staff members are following national guidelines.

“As part of these precautionary processes it will be necessary to review the normal range of activities and entertainment for residents.

“We appreciate these measures may cause some anxiety and inconvenience, but this is a highly unusual situation and our priority needs to be in protecting and safeguarding the vulnerable older people in our care.”

Supported Accommodation

OIC is advising that any visitors to tenants in supported accommodation should not be showing any symptoms of COVID-19 and any children under the age of 12 should not visit. They also advise that the number of visitors are limited to reduce the prospect of a resident contracting the virus.

Before entering a property, if possible, visitors should use alcohol hand sanitiser. Also, visitors are asked not to use the tenant’s bathroom facilities.

Home care

Service users will be called each day prior to the first visit by the carer to see how they are feeling. If they are feeling unwell with any symptoms relating to COVID-19, carers will still visit but will be wearing additional personal protective equipment.

Service users should contact the Homecare office at any point during the day if they start with a persistent cough and a raised temperature.

Carers are following stringent infection control guidelines to minimise any risk of cross infection.

Daycare Centres

As of Friday, March 20, all daycare centres will close. Arrangements are underway, where appropriate, for daycare centre attendees to be visited by home care staff.