3 years ago
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admin
We know how important visiting is for the social and mental wellbeing of our residents, so we are delighted to announce a resumption of indoor visiting at two of our homes next week.
From Monday January 17, family and friends will be able to book indoor visits at Spring Grove and Springview. At the latter, it will also be possible to visit in the outdoor gazebo if people so wish.
At Spring Lane, from Monday January 17, family and friends will be able to book outdoor gazebo visits. The resumption of indoor visiting will take a little longer as there are still a small number of positive cases remaining in the home, but we hope these will be resolved soon. As always there is access to a digital tablet device to allow face-to-face chats. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you would like to use this.
Meanwhile, as announced in the last newsletter, we are working on a plan to allow each resident in every home an “essential care giver”, which would open up visiting still further. We’ll let you know as soon as we can implement this.
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3 years ago
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admin
Latest rules regarding the new Omicron variant
EVERY one of you be aware, after all the news in the media over the past few days, of the seriousness of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, which is spreading fast through the population.
Now ministers have brought in new rules to protect the residents of care homes. From this week, the Department of Health and Social Care have announced that care home residents will be allowed three visitors in all, who must be nominated in advance. An additional “essential care-giver” will also be permitted
In addition, there will be more precautions for residents visiting family and friends outside the home. Fully vaccinated residents will be asked to take a lateral flow test on alternate days for two weeks after each outing, while those not vaccinated will have to isolate in their rooms for 14 days after returning.
This will affect our Springdene homes in different ways. Because, unfortunately, a small number of staff at Springview have tested positive, there will be no indoor visiting at the home. Visits will have to take place in the outdoor gazebo, in which heating will be provided. Nor will families at Springview be permitted take their loved ones out – in order to avoid bringing infection back into the home. Visiting at Spring Grove and Spring Lane will be under the government’s new rules.
You can help us over this Christmas period in several ways. First, please make sure we know who your nominated visitors are. Second, if at Spring Grove or Spring Lane, please inform us well in advance if you are planning to take your loved ones out of the home for lunch or other reasons. It is sensible to make sure that family and other gatherings are restricted to a small size. You may wish to avoid taking them out at all.
You can assist us, too, by taking your lateral flow tests at home before you come to our homes. You can record them on the NHS app or bring in a photograph of the completed test with the date on.
With Omicron, we are in a fast-moving situation and if any of this changes, we’ll let you know straight away. In the meantime, from all of us at Springdene, we wish you the best possible Christmas!
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4 years ago
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admin
We thought it would be helpful for you to know the latest on life in our care homes and how we are responding to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Springdene Group is continuing to take measures across all the homes to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, including enhanced cleaning regimes and use of specialist cleaning products.
All our staff are wearing Personal Protective Equipment, as recommended by Public Health England.
At this time, in order to keep residents in our homes safe, along with our staff, we continue to suspend visits to the homes. Exceptions to this are visiting medical professionals. We hope you understand this is in the best interests of everybody.
As you will know, some residents have been confined to their rooms for personal protection, but we are pleased to say that we are gradually allowing people into the common areas on a rotating basis. Social distancing rules will be observed, balancing physical safety with emotional well-being.
We are also pleased to announce that staff in our homes are now becoming eligible for the national Covid-19 testing programme in line with PHE’s guidelines. The first member of staff was tested this week and others will follow.
However, it with great sadness that we report the death of Vivien Frey, the activities coordinator at Spring Grove. Vivien had worked for the company for nearly 20 years and was greatly loved and respected by all who worked with her. In particular she was a prime mover in the running of the Spring Grove Music Festival for 15 years.
“She was a great personality, at the heart of all Spring Grove’s activities and a crucial part of our operation – loved by residents and their families alike,“ says Medical Director Robin Powell. “We will miss her hugely and send out sincerest condolences to those she has left behind.” On the issue of communication, we know that during the embargo on visits it is distressing for relatives and friends not to be able to see their loved ones physically. But we are doing everything we can to facilitate phone calls or Skype, or other forms of video conferencing. To this end we have acquired tablet devices for residents to use.
Happily, the homes continue to be in contact with the “outside world”. Last week Spring Lane featured on the BBC’s Six o’ Clock News, with the news team filming through the front windows, to be greeted with waves and smiles from staff and residents.
And in a lovely gesture, pupils from Hornsey School for Girls baked trays of cakes and pastries and presented them to Springview, Spring Grove and Spring Lane. They came complete with a painting of a rainbow (right). Everybody reported on how delicious they were.
Nor was the spirit of Easter neglected. On Good Friday residents at Springview were greatly amused by the arrival of the Easter Bunny (left).
Meanwhile Waitrose, the supermarket group, donated some beautiful daffodils and Easter eggs, which also cheered everybody up.
We hope to make this newsletter a regular event, so we’ll be back in touch before long. Meanwhile, thanks to all families and friends for their cooperation in these extraordinary and difficult times. And a specially big “thank you” to all our staff who are working so hard to keep everyone cared-for and safe.
Thank you for your continued co-operation.
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4 years ago
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admin
WELCOME to the latest edition of our weekly newsletter, in which we report on life in our Springdene homes and how we are facing up to the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 epidemic.
Life is tough for everybody in these terrible times, but we are making excellent progress in our homes in preventing the spread of the disease. We pay tribute to the selfless and heroic efforts of our staff in making sure all the residents are safe and well looked after. And we are grateful to the residents themselves for their forbearance and understanding, with many having to stay in their rooms for personal protection.
We are happy to report that we have good supplies of personal protective equipment, which all our staff wear at all times. We are also applying the rules with regard to wearing the kit with a rigour over and above that required by Public Health England. Springdene Group continues to undertake comprehensive cleaning programmes using specialist cleaning products.
A covid-testing regime is underway for the evaluation of residents who may be suspected of having the disease. The first testing kits for residents arrived this week. Staff are being offered tests, too, with the first seven having undergone tests, with more to follow as the government accelerates its testing programme. This requires getting staff members to the test centre in Wembley – a challenge for those without cars: perhaps there are volunteers among you who could help with this crucial task?
You can be assured that we will let families know as soon as possible when any of their loved ones is ill. And extra care is being taken in looking out for residents who have less capacity. Although some of our care staff are self-isolating and away from work, we are pleased to report that all the shifts in the homes are being covered. We are recruiting new carers and volunteers and, where necessary, our managers are filling any gaps. Even our group operations manager is rolling up his sleeves and dispensing medicines!
To reward our hard-working staff for their efforts, we are looking at increasing sick pay if they have to be absent through isolation or illness. We are also providing staff with bowls of fruit and take-away pizzas as thanks for their efforts.
We know how frustrating it is for residents not to be able to physically see their loved ones at the moment, but you can rest assured they are being especially well looked after, with lots of smiles and attention from their carers. We encourage everyone to make use of the tablet devices that are available to video-call relatives. Staff are only too happy to help with any technical difficulties.
Food, delivered to rooms where the dining room is closed, is of its usual excellent standard, and we pay tribute to the often-unsung efforts of the staff at our contractor CaterPlus in making it so delicious in difficult circumstances.
You may have seen in the news this week that Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced new proposals to allow people to be with gravely ill relatives in care homes before they die so they can fulfil a ‘right to say goodbye’. At Springdene, this has always been the case, and you can be assured that we will waive the embargo on visits whenever a family faces such circumstances. On a happier note, there is lots of activity in the homes to keep residents entertained and to bring sparkle into their lives. At Spring Lane, the residents made Beatrix Potter characters to stick on the windows to symbolise the coming of spring. And Caroline, the activities coordinator, has been running bingo from the end of the corridor, with residents playing from their doorways, She has also been reading a daily short story over the tannoy.
At Springview, Eirlys the activities coordinator, wrote a brilliant spoof song, “Is this the way to fight Corona?” to the tune of Tony Christie’s ‘Is this the way to Amarillo? It was performed with gusto by the staff, and the residents had a ‘right laugh’, especially over the verse ‘The supermarket shelves are bare/Can’t find toilet roll anywhere’. It was so good, said someone, it should be entered for the Brit awards.
We’d like to express our appreciation to the group of Highgate ladies who donated 25 goody bags for the staff at Spring Lane. The bags included shower gel, wipes, porridge, lunch snack, energy bar and drinks. These ladies just wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all the carers and staff of Spring Lane for doing an ‘amazing job looking after all the residents’.
One final thing. We thought it would be a nice idea to create a picture book in memory of Vivien Frey, our much loved activities coordinator at Spring Grove, who died suddenly last week. If residents or families have any memories, anecdotes or pictures they would like to share, please send them to Adrienne Rosen at arosen@springdene.co.uk.
Thank you for your continued co-operation.
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