Borough Care Admissions During Covid 19 – Frequently Asked Questions

To help you understand the precautions we have put in place for new residents during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have created some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s).

You can contact us at any time if you have further questions or need any advice. These FAQ’s are designed to help support and reassure everyone involved, and to make a move to a Borough Care home run as smoothly as possible. Please feel free to call 0161 475 0140, to speak to a friendly member of our team.

Do new residents have to isolate on arrival at a Borough Care home?

To protect all our residents and staff members, residents may be required to isolate on arrival, whether from hospital, or from their previous home. The form and the length of any isolation required will be determined based on national guidance and home specific circumstances. Please ask on of our team for specifics when you are discussing admission.

Will they have to self-isolate in their care home bedroom?

Yes. Under the expert care of our dedicated staff, those living with us will receive dedicated care in their room. This includes visits from our Activities and Lifestyle Facilitator to keep them busy. We will also facilitate regular telephone or video calls with family or friends. Plus, nutritious and delicious meals, prepared by our catering team, will be delivered to directly to the room.

Will new residents be tested for Covid 19 before admission?

If a resident is referred to us from hospital, they will take a Covid 19 test prior to moving in. If the test is negative, they can join us immediately, but will still need to isolate in their room to ensure they are not carrying the virus.

If a new resident is coming to us from home, we will expect a negative test for Covid 19 prior to moving in as per new Government Guidelines. They will also need to isolate in their room before mixing with other residents in the wider home.

Can we see the home and bedroom?

We are following the government’s latest advice and have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our homes to visitors. This means tours of the home, in person, cannot happen in the usual way.

Our home managers are offering virtual tours of the home and the bedrooms to those that want it during this time. During your virtual tour we can tell you about mealtimes, activities in the home, introduce you to some staff and give you a flavour of day to day life.

How will you do the pre-admission assessment during Covid-19?

All new residents have a pre-admission assessment to ensure we have a full understanding of care needs, personality, likes and dislikes. During the Covid-19 pandemic these will be conducted via video call or telephone – preferably with the prospective resident, as well as a family member or friend on the call too.

What will happen on moving in day during Covid-19?

Relatives will be able to drop off but unfortunately, we can only allow the resident to enter the home. This difficult decision has been taken to protect the vulnerable people that live with us.

If you would like your loved ones’ personal belongings to be in their room before they arrive, this can be arranged. We want them to feel as comfortable as possible, as quickly as possible.

During isolation, and once residents are free to move around the entire home, we will do everything we can to help you stay in touch with your loved one. We have iPads in the home and will help your loved ones with video calls if preferred. We want to reassure you that even though these times are unsettling, we are still having plenty of fun and living our lives in colour at Borough Care. There are lots of examples of home-life on our News page.

When are friends and family allowed to visit?

Guidance and precautions around visiting have changed regularly through the various stages of the Covid pandemic. Our current requirements in terms of visiting can be found here.

How will you keep my loved one safe in your care home?

All our homes are following strict infection control procedures with robust, deep cleaning taking place regularly.

All our staff will be wearing face masks for protection and as well as wearing gloves, aprons and sometimes face visors too, dependent on the task they are undertaking.

Residents are routinely tested for Covid 19 every 28 days, while staff are tested every seven days. If a resident or member of staff feels unwell, even if they are not displaying Covid 19 symptoms, they will be tested immediately.

If you have any further questions about our Admissions Process that we haven’t covered here, please call us on 0161 475 0140 or email enquiries@boroughcare.org.uk.