Covid update - May 2021

Covid-19 update

The past year has been a really tough time for us all and at Yercombe we are trying to get back to some normality. Our main aim through this whole pandemic was to keep all our residents and staff safe and supported. We have a small close-knit team at Yercombe Lodge and have been able to be a great support to each other and our residents.

Vaccinations

As a care home we were on the priority list to receive our covid-19 vaccinations. With the support of our local GP surgeries and hospital all of our residents and the majority of our staff team received their first vaccines before Christmas. We are really please to say that 100% of our staff and residents have now received both doses of the vaccine.

Testing

We have a robust testing programme at Yercombe Lodge which follows the governments guidelines. All staff receive weekly PCR tests and are required to carry out 2 rapid tests weekly. All of our residents are tested every 28 days and respite users are tested on their arrival and during their respite stay.

All visitors and outside agency workers who are coming into the building are required to carry out a rapid test on their arrival. 

New admissions/re-opening

In order to keep our staff and residents safe the trust made the difficult decision to close our respite and day centre services during the peak of the pandemic. 

From April 2021 our respite and day centre services were re-opened and it has been great to see some familiar as well as new faces coming through the doors once again. If you would like to receive more information about our respite and day services or would like to book, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are also taking new residential admissions. So please contact Yercombe Lodge if you would like any further details.

We have clear protocols in place for when we have people using our services. We have a clear testing programme and can arrange vaccinations for those who have not yet received one. 

Activities

We have been working hard to ensure that we have been keeping our staff and residents busy through the covid-19 pandemic. Our activities co-ordinator has arranged many activities including arts and crafts, gardening, afternoon tea, Easter egg decorating competition as well as themed days to celebrate red nose day and Saint Patricks day. We have also created a ‘Hope tree’ to highlight all the things we would like to do when we are able to get back to normal. 

Visiting

We have been extremely lucky during this pandemic that we have been able to offer forms of visiting throughout, whether this has been ‘window phone calls’ or visits in our greenhouse ‘pod’. Our iPad has been of great use allowing people to video chat with their loved ones who were unable to visit.

As restrictions are easing we are currently reviewing and risk assessing our visiting procedure ensuring that we are following the government guidelines. It has been lovely to allow more family and friends to visit their loved ones and also give those immediate family the opportunity to visit inside. 

We will continue to keep everyone updated.

Staffing status

We have been recruiting and are pleased to say that this has been very successful.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their hard work, support and good spirits through over the past year. 

Teraza Bingle

Manager