Visiting at Kirkwall care home suspended

St Rognvald House has suspended visiting as a “precautionary measure,” following a positive COVID-19 test result.

Due to patient confidentiality, Orkney Health and Care (OHAC) is unable to confirm whether the patient is a resident or a worker in the care home.

OHAC has clarified the current visiting regulations at St Rognvald House.

At present, only essential visits can take place in line with Scottish Government guidance.

The government says these should be supported when it is essential that a designated visitor needs to visit.

This might include circumstances where it is clear that a resident’s health and wellbeing is changing for the worse, where visiting may help with communication difficulties, to ease significant personal stress or other pressing circumstances.

The designated visitor — chosen as their named visitor by the resident or a person with power of attorney — should discuss this with the care home manager, who will make arrangements if there is an essential reason for a visit.

For more from Gillian Morrison, interm chief officer of OHAC, see this week’s The Orcadian for the full story.