To All Maidstone Home Care Clients
COVID-19 Update
Wednesday 25th March 2020
To our dearest clients,
With the COVID-19 virus dominating the forefront of the services of care we are currently providing, we have issued this briefing to all of our Staff and Clients to make sure that we all work together, ensuring that our priority for care services continue with little or no disruptions as possible. In these tentative times, we are implementing contingency plans as best as we can with the facts that we have available to us at this time.
Whilst operating in an environment of considerable uncertainty, one thing we can assure you of, is our continued devotion to providing our care services although services of care and call times may need to be adjusted to suit the availability of Health Care Assistants. These are indeed uncertain times and as always, we will do our upmost to continue with our Clients and Health Care Assistants as our main priority. We will continue to keep you updated as best we can.
This briefing includes the following information:
COVID-19 Current situation
Confirmed symptoms
What we are doing to minimise risk
What you can do to help us minimise risk
Continuity of care services
Personal Protective Equipment
As the situation evolves on a daily basis, links to informative websites have been provided to ensure the most up to date information can be accessed as the situation develops.
COVID-19 Current Situation
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
Confirmed Symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
As a care agency guided by the Care Quality Commission but adhering to various procedures instructed by KCC, CQC, CHC and a variety of other Health Care Officials, we have found the best updates can be found but are not limited to the .gov.uk, NHS and KCC websites. To keep thoroughly up to date with the daily developments we recommend that regular checks are kept on the above and following websites.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.kent.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/health/coronavirus
What we are doing to minimise risk
In many respects, we are one of the most fortunate agencies as we have purposefully kept small over our last ten years of trading so that we can provide our care services intimately with all of our Clients, ensuring that we have a one-to-one knowledge of their medical history, current needs and future progression. In view of this we have been extremely selective in who we take on to provide our care services and have been absolutely amazed again and again at the professionalism, foresight and caring natures our Health Care Assistants have carried out so far in making sure that our Clients are protected as best as they can against this invisible enemy. To minimise risk, our Health Care Assistants have already or are currently,
Cancelling/cancelled holidays (UK and abroad)
Avoiding contact with family/friends
Washing uniform at the end of every shift with antibacterial cleanser/high temperature washes
Changing PPE (Gloves, aprons etc.) regularly where necessary throughout each call
Regularly washing hands before, during and after each call for a minimum of 20 seconds
Using antibacterial spray as extra precaution
Adhering to distance guidelines and precautionary measures as set by the Government
All Maidstone Home Care Health Care Assistants have already been briefed and hand washing/sanitising has been reiterated as a high priority. All HCA’s wash their hands thoroughly before, during and after all calls whilst also using antibacterial spray as extra precaution, this is a practice that all Carers carried out way before this dreaded COVID-19 came along and will be doing it long after.
Health Care Assistants that show any symptoms will naturally follow the course of self-isolating.
Please rest assured that we are doing everything we can to work with all Health Care Officials to try our best to ensure that service continues with limited or no interruptions.
What you can do to help us minimise risk
We all need to work together to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is limited as much as possible to avoid straining the services not just for Maidstone Home Care but also for the NHS. In view of this we highly recommend that the following measures are taken:
Regularly wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds
Advise Maidstone Home Care of any holidays that you intend to take (UK or abroad)
Only have one or two maximum designated people attend your home if absolutely necessary (E.g. shopping, medication)
Advise us of any visitors that you may have attend your home from overseas or who do not usually attend
Avoid contact with any unnecessary individuals especially large crowds of people
Do not take any unnecessary trips outside of your home
Assist the attending HCA’s to utilise the call time efficiently
Adhere to distance guidelines and precautionary measures as set by the Government
It is with regret that we must inform all Clients that services of care may be suspended or permanently cancelled if any Clients are found to deliberately ignore the precautions laid out within this briefing as the severity of repercussions that could ensue will put our Health Care Assistants and all other Clients at risk, a risk that we simply will not tolerate.
If you experience one or more of the following, immediately contact Lyn Reade or Lois Laing on landline 01622 729988 or mobile 07511 719988 or email info@maidstonehomecare.com:
If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19
If you have recently been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
If you begin showing symptoms of COVID-19
If you or anyone you have had contact with, is showing symptoms of COVID-19
Continuity of Care Services
We are all new to this situation. In view of this we are regularly checking updates and will adapt our services accordingly. Whilst we strive to ensure continuity of care services, we may need to look at reducing care services and/or adapt call times.
Should care services need to be reduced, priority of calls will naturally go to clients who do not have any family members that live with them or are able to visit. Clients who have time sensitive medication and/or severe disabilities.
We always do our utmost to advise of any changes to call times however with the limited resources that may be stretched even further, this may not always be possible as our daily activities and resources will be prioritised.
New Health Care Assistants. As part of the contingency plans to ensure continuity of services, new Health Care Assistants will be introduced as normal, carrying out the required training and shadowing calls before being allocated shifts. As with existing HCA’s all new staff will undergo vigorous training and briefing to ensure they too adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines set by the Government.
Personal Protective Equipment
As PPE supplies are currently in high demand, the attending carers will be ensuring that all PPE is utilised efficiently. Please Note: The PPE left within your homes is only to be used by attending carers. Should you require your own PPE, we highly recommend that this is purchased by yourself or from Maidstone Home Care direct. Due to the high volume of demand, given the current situation with COVID-19, excessive or mis-use of PPE will result in PPE being restricted and the attending carers will only bring the required PPE on each call. We appreciate your cooperation in these uncertain times.
We cannot thank you enough for your patience and support and we will endeavour to keep you updated of any further information or assistance that may be of use.
Stay safe.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Lyn Reade & Lois Laing
Maidstone Home Care