Information for visiting a Mariposa care home

As the Government outlines the end of England’s social-distancing rules from 19^th July 2021, we would like to clarify our approach for how we will continue to welcome visitors at our homes.

Firstly, we recognise that visiting has been hugely restricted throughout the pandemic and we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding in helping us to maintain the safety and wellbeing of those who live and work at our homes.

As the general restrictions become more relaxed, I am sure you will agree that the risks of infection for vulnerable people remain high and we need to ensure that people are enabled to keep in touch with their loved ones in a safe, controlled manner.

The Government has said that they are moving towards the principle of personal responsibility and thinking about others but has warned that there will be more hospitalisations and deaths – saying the pandemic is not over.

To this end, we can confirm that in all our care homes we intend to maintain screening procedures for all visitors to the home and this will include the following:

Masks

The Government said that mask use will be advised in crowded and enclosed spaces even after legal controls end. Our plan is that masks will continue to be worn by staff members and visitors until further notice.

Visiting the home

To help our team safely and effectively manage the number of people in the building, it would be much appreciated if you could continue to book in advance before visiting. This will enable the screening procedures to be carried out efficiently and will enable you to see your loved ones without undue delay.

Number of visitors

We will continue with our current plan of 2 visitors maximum per resident per visit and we will allow children at the discretion and agreement of the Home Manager.

Nominated Visitors

There will now be no restrictions as before when our residents could only have 5 named visitors but we would encourage you to talk through with your other family members how you would like to manage the visits.

Visits

We will be increasing the visits to 2 families per floor at any one time in an effort to increase the amount of visits we can accommodate per day. Visits will also increase to one hour maximum from the previous 45 minutes.

Physical contact

We will allow you to hug and hold your relatives hand but PPE must be worn by every visitor.

Lateral flow testing

It would be most helpful if you could carry out your own lateral flow test before visiting the home and bring along the test result for us to see. The test kits are readily available from the NHS and we can provide help and advice if necessary. Should you arrive at the home without a test result we will carry out the test here but again, this may delay your visit especially if we have more visitors in the home.

Personal Protection Equiptment

We will continue provided PPE for visitors to the home – gloves, masks, aprons.

Handwashing

Handwashing facilities and hand sanitiser will continue to be provided and encouraged to be used throughout your visit.

Once again, thank you so much for your continued support and we very much look forward to seeing you at our homes over the coming months.

As further Government guidance emerges, we will continue to update you on any other changes and will be constantly reviewing our visiting procedure to ensure our residents and yourselves have enjoyable visits.

Last updated: 19th July 2021