COVID19 Information

The health and safety of our clients, staff and visitors is paramount to all that we do here at Keate House, as we continue to stand against coronavirus with a proactive and thorough approach. We are constantly updating our policies and regulations around new guidance issued by the government, and we are in regular contact with surrounding bodies for further support as required. This document outlines some of the measures we have implemented at Keate House in response to the COVID-19 period and how we have upheld our standards of excellence in care provision. 

Admissions

Our doors remain open for new admissions with detailed measures in place to support the safety of our clients and loved ones. We require that all new residents receive a negative COVID test prior to admission, with a 14-day monitoring period. During this period, staff are available around the clock to offer full support to assist with whatever is needed. With this we are keeping the possibility of transmission to a minimum, and we are proud to have maintained a COVID-free environment for our residents to enjoy a rich quality of life.

Testing

We are constantly keeping updated with new regulations regarding testing within care home settings. At present, we require all staff members to take a COVID test every week, with residents to take a COVID test according to current guidance. The results are promptly received and monitored to ensure that Keate House remains a COVID-free environment for our residents and staff. In the unfortunate case that a positive COVID result arises, we ensure that the client undergoes a 14-day monitoring period, before receiving confirmation of a negative result. Further details are available on request. We realise in these uncertain times, these processes for vulnerable adults can be incredibly anxious and daunting. Our staff are on hand to offer full support to ensure that the mental wellbeing of our clients is at its best. Any staff with a positive COVID result are required to self-isolate at home accordingly, until a negative result is achieved.

Vaccinations

In line with the latest news of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination being issued, we are proud to be at the top of the priority list for receiving the vaccine. This is a promising step in the fight against COVID-19, and we have been requested to issue staff and resident numbers in anticipation of its delivery. We aim to have as many of our staff and clients vaccinated as soon as possible, to minimise risks posed with coronavirus. 

Visiting

We knew that during the COVID-19 period, we had to keep our residents connected with their loved ones. With this, we built our ‘Visitors Hub’ – a safe meeting point for our residents and their contacts. In our Visitors Hub, you can find comfortable seating split by a glass panel, minimising any potential risk of transmission, and upholding safe social distancing measures. This is complete with an advanced microphone system to allow a conversation to flow naturally. We require screening of all visitors as a primary safety measure, to ensure that the risk of transmitting the virus into Keate House is at its lowest.

With constantly changing laws and regulations, we have unfortunately required to temporarily close our doors for visiting in line with national lockdown measures, but we are happy to have reopened our Visitors Hub to allow our residents to connect back with their loved ones in these uncertain times. We have issued new phones and tablets in the home to allow video or telephone calls whenever required. Our staff are always on-hand to assist with these calls around the clock.

Hygiene

At Keate House, we have always upheld the highest quality of hygiene to secure a safe and clean environment for our residents to live in comfortably. The COVID-19 period has given us opportunity to uphold these excellent standards and introduce new measures to keep our residents as safe as possible. We have continued comprehensive sanitising procedures to ensure that the home is disinfected around the clock, as to minimise risks and ensure a safe living space. Continual hand-washing procedures and full use of PPE by staff is enforced. We have introduced new equipment such as anti-bacterial foggers, which allows thorough and efficient cleaning of entire rooms in a quick timeframe. 

Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E)

We are fortunate to have a substantial supply of P.P.E at Keate House, to ensure that care delivery can continue as safely and effectively as possible in line with government guidance. Staff are fully trained in the safety procedures of donning and doffing p.p.e and ensure that this is followed at all times. We require face masks to be worn throughout the home at all times, with gloves and aprons required for personal care or close contact with our residents. This is to minimise the risk of potential transmission and to keep the environment as hygienic as possible.

Activity Provision

At Keate House, we have made sure to continue our activity provision and facilities as best as possible, with our team on-hand to deliver exciting opportunities for our residents to continue to enjoy. We have taken the COVID-19 period as an opportunity to extend our existing network and grow wider into the local community and beyond. We have collaborated with local schools and communities to create Christmas decorations and projects. We also have our PenPal system in place, which allows our residents to communicate with new friends from around the world. We are constantly thinking forward in how we can connect our residents and their loved ones, and with this, we have produced several video projects with all our residents and staff, which are regularly featured on our social media.

Our activities team Bev, Melissa, and Ryan, are all trained in comprehensive chair-based exercise programs. These provide equal opportunity to those that may find their mobility more challenging than others and promotes a healthy lifestyle with regular classes hosted at Keate House. We also host regular dance-based exercise classes to keep our exercise provision varied and exciting.

We hope to open our doors again as soon as possible, as we continue to ensure that our service is safe, robust, and well-informed. We appreciate all kind words and gestures to our staff who have continued their dedication to the service and our residents in these uncertain times. We will continue to keep all contacts and our community updated with our latest developments in our fight against COVID-19, and maintain a comfortable, safe, and secure environment for all of our residents at this time.

Thank you for your ongoing support.