Calderdale Council working on plans to allow visits to loved ones in care homes this winter

The Council’s Director of Adults and Wellbeing Services, Iain Baines, told members of the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board that relatives had made a sacrifice in terms of not visiting their loved ones during the first wave of the pandemic.

Unless circumstances were exceptional, for example end of life care, the situation had brought some real challenges to residents, relatives and the care homes and their staff themselves.

However, Mr Baines said: “We are having conversations about how care home visiting can be facilitated even in context of high prevalence.”

It is possible this might be achievable this winter in a highly controlled environment, with no touch points within the setting, for a named relative and using a booking system, said Mr Baines.

“It would be inhumane not to listen to the voice of relatives in that and we want to assure them we are working through that, but there is no easy way,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Baines had said the borough did not currently have an outbreak in one of its care homes but did have one in a community setting.

Through the pandemic period, Calderdale had 14 outbreaks in these scenarios so far, which he said had posed challenges for people who used the services.

“But we have been a relatively low area for notifications of formal outbreaks and that is testament to how the authority and partners have worked tirelessly to engage with good infection control and really good PPE, having worked hard to ensure there is a good supply,” said Mr Baines.

Going into winter, teams were working hard on how to maintain the preventative approach, he said, with care providers having had no respite in the pandemic’s first wave.

“We think we are in for a very tough winter and one of the challenges is recognising our care providers are integral to that delivery,” said Mr Baines.

The council would keep supporting them, he said.