Families welcomed inside home in further easing of lockdown

In our latest cautious step towards easing the coronavirus lockdown, resident’ families are again being welcomed inside Kingsley Healthcare care homes.

Following comprehensive risk assessments, we have earmarked a dedicated lounge in each home for family visits.

Kingsley’s operations director, Debbie McGovern, said: “After the three month lockdown at the height of the pandemic we had been facilitating garden visits so families could see their loved ones.

“However, we are so happy to at last be able to welcome families into our homes again. The safety of residents and staff is paramount and every cautious step we have taken has been strictly in line with government guidelines.”

She said relatives had to book a visit by telephone; on arrival they were greeted by a host and escorted to the visiting lounge where refreshments were provided; visitors were observing  social distancing.

However, visits would not be permitted in areas of local lockdown.

Kingsley CEO Daya Thayan said weekend newspaper reports about the terrible impact of the lockdown on care home residents and their families were “heartbreaking”.

He said: “We must do more to support families. We are a family business serving the vulnerable and the physical and emotional wellbeing of our residents is of paramount importance to us. We want a happy environment.”

As part of its Kingsley SafeStay initiative - a comprehensive package of safety measures - Kingsley has introduced a contactless track and trace system into homes.