Regular visits for Scots care home residents to restart in early March

Care home residents in Scotland will once again be able to have regular indoor visits from friends, relatives and carers from early March, it has been announced.
Care home residents in Scotland will be allowed two designated visitors, who can each meet them indoors once a weekCare home residents in Scotland will be allowed two designated visitors, who can each meet them indoors once a week
Care home residents in Scotland will be allowed two designated visitors, who can each meet them indoors once a week

Under a relaxing of coronavirus restrictions, each resident will be allowed up to two designated visitors who are each allowed to visit once a week, wearing PPE including face coverings.

The move comes after almost all older residents and 92 per cent of care home staff received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination.

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The Scottish Government has made the decision to make “meaningful contact” easier for the well-being of both residents and their loved ones.

However, initially indoor visits by children under the age of 16 should not take place except under “exceptional circumstances”.

Further guidance on the visiting system will be published on Wednesday.

The announcement has been welcomed.

Cathie Russell, a campaigner with the Care Home Relatives Scotland group, said: “We look forward to working with care home providers, public health and oversight teams to ensure that the new guidance allows residents to enjoy meaningful contact with their closest relatives and friends once more.

“It has been a very difficult year.

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“The deepest ties of love are important and we can never thrive without them.”

Donald MacAskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, said: “The Covid pandemic has presented frontline care home staff and managers with many challenges but undoubtedly the hardest has been keeping residents apart from family and friends.

“We have now reached a very different place and with a range of Covid-19 protections in place, including vaccination and testing, combined with the use of PPE and IPC, we are at a stage where we can reintroduce safer indoor visiting to Scotland’s care homes.

“This day has been long-awaited and we understand that it will be an emotional time for many.”

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Health secretary Jeanne Freeman said the decisions around care home visiting had been some of the hardest during the pandemic.

“We deeply regret the deaths and other harm caused by coronavirus in our care homes, but we also recognise the harm caused to the well-being of residents and families as a result of an inability to see those they love,” she said.

“We must remain vigilant about the risks but with multiple layers of protection now in place the balance is in favour of allowing visits.

“Everyone, including visitors, has a responsibility to ensure that visits take place as safely as possible by continuing to follow safety advice.”

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She added: “The guidance we are publishing sets out an expectation that providers will put in place arrangements to enable regular visits to resume from early March and from the discussions I have had with providers I now expect all care homes to have embraced this guidance by mid-March.”

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Donald Cameron added: “This will be greeted with an overwhelming sense of relief by families who have loved ones in care homes.

“Many won’t have seen or had physical contact with their relatives for almost a year, and will be counting down the days until they can hug them again.

“While protecting our most vulnerable has always been the priority, this represents a hugely positive step forward for our care home residents and provides them with long overdue family time.”

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