COVID Policy
With the everchanging situation in the UK regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we continually follow the latest government guidance to ensure that we continue to act in the best interests of the people who live and work at Park View and their significant others.
We are immensely proud of the way that our team have and continue to pull together in these challenging circumstances. Each morning we have a Heads of Departments and Staff Representatives catch up so that we can take a proactive and flexible approach to our response and working practices. Please rest assured that at all times the wellbeing of residents and staff at Park View is our highest priority.
If you have any questions, you can email us at info@parkviewgloucester.co.uk
We are very pleased that the Government and Local Authority have lifted visiting restrictions to Care Homes to allow family and friends to visit, albeit by appointment. We are able to facilitate regular visits from family and friends by appointment in our Coffee shop, spare lounge space when available or outside.
We continue to welcome a nominated family member as an ‘Essential Care Giver’. This means they test alongside our staff team with a weekly PCR Coronavirus test, daily Lateral Flow tests on days they visit and can visit a resident on the care floor, and to take them out for trips.
Should there be an outbreak of COVID-19 care homes are still able to welcome Essential Care Giver visits to support the mental health and wellbeing of residents of the Home.
In warmer weather we encourage outdoor visits in our lovely garden where we have many seating areas. Should a resident at Park View become poorly, or in other exceptional circumstances we can facilitate visits in private rooms. All visits are still subject to a negative Lateral Flow Test prior to entry to the home. We can conduct the test for the visitors, but ask that they arrive 35 minutes early for the visit in order to facilitate this. Essential Caregivers can test themselves at home prior to the visit, and register the test using our Unique Organisation Number.
Essential professional visits continue and are subject to LFD testing if not already on a testing schedule as per government guidelines.
Once you are a registered visitor, you can use Meet My Brian to book in your visits at https://www.meetmybrian.com/login . Should you wish to set this up to visit your loved one, please call Reception or Pia Potter-Farrant, our Operations Manager on 01452 671499, and they will also be able to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you as always for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any queries and please continue to be vigilant and stay safe.
Here at Park View we have moved swiftly to fully embrace the technological opportunities that today’s world offers to maintain contact. We know just how important this is for everyone’s wellbeing.
Following or visiting our Facebook page is a great way to see what we are up to at Park View and for keeping up to date on everything your loved ones are doing.
Scheduling Skype, Facetime or WhatsApp video call sessions are now an everyday occurrence with each floor in the home having its own dedicated tablet, and we call relatives with updates whenever we can. You can book a visit with your loved one on our new app MeetMyBrian. Please call reception so we can set you up on the system to be able to book in person or ‘virtual’ visits by WhatsApp or Skype
If you do wish to do a Skype call, find us on parkviewglos@gmail.com
Our residents (and staff) always love to receive cards, letters, pictures etc from you and your family/friends, as well as flowers and chocolate! So please do send them to us. Letters emailed to reception@parkviewgloucester.co.uk will be reformatted into handwriting font and printed on paper to create a keepsake letter.
Park View remains open to new admissions as usual, and we are following the current guidelines issued from the public health authorities to ensure the wellbeing of all. Anyone choosing to come and live at Park View will be subject to a negative COVID PCR test prior to admission. It is important we continue to support the healthcare system and all residents of Park View who require a safe care environment. – Is it worth putting this higher up (first page?)
Any questions you might have please refer to our Home Manager, Charlotte, or our reception team on 01452 671499.
Thank you so much for bearing with us through these ever-changing times, but please be assured that the safety and care of people living at park View will always be our main priority.
The work of all Park View team members is critical to the COVID-19 response and therefore all our staff are granted the Key Worker status. This helps us to ensure that we can maintain our staffing levels as those with children have been prioritised for education provision when schools have shut, and our team have freedom to travel to work under the current restrictions.
As always, we risk assess all visits and have not restricted to the ‘One visitor only’ guideline, as we felt it unfair to make residents choose between children / loved ones. We do however ask that no more than TWO people visit at one time currently until further restrictions lift. Unfortunately, we still cannot accept visits from school age children, unless in extreme circumstances, but please do let us know if you have any questions regarding visiting and we will work with you for a best solution. Visits remain by appointment only, with a required 30 minute Lateral Flow test prior to entering the building. Visits will for the immediate future still be held in the coffee shop (unless in extreme circumstances or an essential care giver). Visiting availability is fully visible on the Meet My Brian app, but you can also call reception on 01452 671499 if there are no visits available on the app, or if you are not familiar with this technology. Should you have family members who wish to book visits but do not receive this mail, please advise so we may also collect their email address.
We are pleased to announce that 100% of our residents have received their first vaccine, and over 95% their second also. Any new residents admitted will be offered the vaccine as soon as possible if they have not already received it.
Essential care givers, if not vaccinated already, can use the care home staff privilege of booking for a vaccine as the carer of a vulnerable person.
Over 90% of our staff team are also vaccinated and we encourage all staff to take the opportunity of have the protection the vaccine brings to them and their family. We are watching closely the government consultation on making vaccination mandatory for workers in Health 7 Social Care, and whilst we cannot enforce currently, we do strongly encourage staff to take up the vaccine for the added safety it brings to the residents.
Vaccination is not mandatory and is not a condition of visiting.
Even as the vaccination brings the promise of an end to the restrictions, we remain as vigilant as ever in our efforts to keep people safe and protected from coronavirus. Routine regular testing as per guidance from the Department of Health & Social Care is ongoing, with both Lateral Flow device tests and PCR tests being used where appropriate. Our infection control and cleaning control measures remain robust – as the positive outcome of our recent CQC Infection Control Inspection can attest. Any staff, resident, or visitor testing positive will be immediately isolated and infection control measures will increase.
Thankfully, we have been in a strong position with a good stock of PPE keeping us well-supplied throughout the pandemic, with the advantage of having a Clinical Lead and Head Housekeeper heading up our Infection Control processes.
Should we experience a COVID-19 outbreak within the home (an outbreak is classed as two residents or staff members testing positive for coronavirus) then for safety reasons we have to cease visiting except in exceptional circumstances. New guidance states the home will have to remain closed to visitors for 14 days after the last positive test.
We will continue to follow government and Local Authority guidelines and await further announcements from No.10 as the Prime Minister lays down his plans for the pathway out of lockdown and going forwards. Please be assured that we will continue to keep you all informed throughout.
As we look forward to summer and the warmer weather, it is with real hope of better and brighter days to come with us being able to have more entertainments and events outside. We are truly hoping that guidance will relax further to allow some family members to join us with our car park shenanigans. . We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the steadfast support and appreciation you continue to show to all teams at Park View. As we often hear, and echo ourselves, they are all amazing!
This past year has shown us that by all pulling together we can keep people safe, well, and happy – and together we look forward to coming out the other side of the pandemic.