Visits, trips and activities are part and parcel of care home life
Visits, trips out, activities and celebrations are a way of life at our residential care homes; and that’s never been more important than during the Covid pandemic. We know that social interaction is an integral part of care home life; and vitally important for maintaining the health and wellbeing of our residents.
Visits mean that family and friends can maintain contact and nourish life-long relationships with their loved ones. Our care home teams treasure visits too, and we’ve embraced safe visits and trips out wherever possible during Covid times.
In fact, when many other care home groups were closing their doors last December, we welcomed a record-breaking 1114 visitors to our care homes during Christmas week (20-26 December). This followed strongly on from 1004 visitors in the previous week, as families came together to spend special time over the festive season.
With the outlook on Covid appearing brighter and Government restrictions easing, we’ve been only too delighted to safely welcome visits in and trips out; with the prospect of these increasing as spring approaches and our homes become increasingly part and parcel of the community once more.
Agincare Homes Chief Operating Officer Tim Buckley said:
We know just how important social interaction is to the well-being of our residents.
That’s why throughout the pandemic we’ve embraced visits to our care homes wherever possible, and are committed to carrying on doing just that.
Please don’t hesitate to speak to the care home manager about making a visit work for you.
Making visits work for you
At Rochester Care Home Lena loves having visits from her son Robert, Peter and Janet-Ann are delighted to see their granddaughter Vicky visit them, whilst Cynthia is off shopping with her family today in preparation for a family celebration.
Peter and Janet-Ann said:
It is so good that we can have our family visit us again. My wonderful granddaughter Vicky took time off work to visit us. Vicky is a marvellous granddaughter, we have missed her visits and are so proud of her. We love all our family and love seeing them again.
Our care home managers welcome visits in line with latest guidance, and do so in a flexible, risk-managed way. As always, we fully support flexible visiting in end of life care. Residents are also supported to undertake visits out of the care home. Please don’t hesitate to contact the care home manager about making visits or trips out of the home work for you.
Should a Covid outbreak occur, we will continue to accommodate visits wherever possible on a risk assessed basis, depending on circumstances at the individual care home and current local guidance at the time. Please contact the care home manager in the first instance to discuss current visiting arrangements in the event of a Covid outbreak.
Could you be an Essential Care Giver ?
We value and encourage Essential Carers Givers. Their ongoing frequent visits of support remains such an important part of life in our care homes. Every care home resident is supported to have an identified Essential Care Giver who may visit to offer companionship and/ or help with care needs. They should also be able to visit the care home during periods of outbreak.
Agincare remains aware of the critical importance of visiting for resident well-being, and we fully support the spirit of John’s Campaign, a team we closely work with, and for whom our Chief Executive Raina Summerson an Ambassador. Please contact the care home manager if you would like to find out more about becoming an Essential Care Giver.
View a factsheet and poster about becoming an Essential Care Giver.
Care home life with activities, events and celebrations
At St Peter’s Park Retirement Village Joan celebrated her 90th birthday with a beautiful cake, and residents took a lovely trip to a local coffee shop, where they’re firm regulars.
As well as facilitating safe visits, our care teams have been keeping the busy social life going, as we know just how important both are to the well-being of our residents. Our aim is to ensure everyone in our care homes receives high quality care, and enjoys a happy and full life. Our care teams love to get involved and every home has an activities co-ordinator whose job it is to make sure activities are enjoyable for all.
Activities do vary at every care home, but we aim to make sure that residents have plenty of choice and freedom; so as well as organised events there’s plenty of opportunity to join in with quieter pastimes. Celebrations are a big deal at our homes too, whether it’s birthdays, wedding anniversaries or special Easter and Christmas fun-filled festivities. All of our homes sport spacious communal lounges to relax in with friends, whilst some even enjoy their own licensed bar or minibus for trips to the shops, garden centre or lunch out on a lovely sunny day.
