Covid-19

In line with government guidance, except in the event of an active outbreak, all care home residents are able to receive indoor visits with no restriction on the number or duration of visits.

There is no longer a requirement for visits to be booked in advance. All indoor visitors should continue to wear a Fluid Resistant Surgical Mask (FRSM) provided by the care home, aside from when eating or drinking.

Testing is not a requirement for residents’ personal visitors under any circumstances. It is also not a condition of personal visits that residents or their visitors are vaccinated. However, the government strongly recommends that residents and visitors receive two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, plus their booster dose and flu vaccine, before undertaking visits.

In the event that visiting arrangements need to be modified during an outbreak, every resident (including a resident that is Covid-positive) will be able to receive one visitor at a time inside the care home throughout this period.

If you have any questions about visiting your loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact the Home Manager.

In line with government guidance, Abbeyfield will continue to support residents to undertake visits out of the care home. 

There are no longer any requirements for residents to isolate following high-risk visits out of the care home (including emergency hospital stays) and residents will no longer be asked to take a test following a visit out. While there are no restrictions, we ask that you continue to let the care home know about any planned outings to ensure they can make appropriate arrangements.

Please discuss any arrangements for visits out with the Home Manager in advance so that the appropriate risk assessment can be completed and arrangements made for the outing.

Except in the event of an active outbreak, all residents can receive indoor visitors with no restriction on the number or duration of visits. There are no requirements for testing or for visits to be booked in advance.

While testing is no longer a requirement for residents’ personal visitors, we appreciate that many people are continuing to exercise caution by taking an LFD test before they visit. Please note, evidence of a negative test result is no longer required and you will not be refused entry if you have not been tested.

A pre-booking system is no longer in place but please continue to sign in and out, as normal. We continue to ask visitors to wear a mask for indoor visits. 

Any visiting children should remain under close supervision of an adult at all times.

Where there is an outbreak of Covid-19 within the setting, the local Health Protection Team will undertake a risk assessment and determine subsequent next steps, including restrictions on visiting. 

If you have any queries please contact the individual house.

Our priority continues to be preventing the spread of Covid-19 and maintaining the safety of our residents, their visitors and our staff, while limiting the impact of any restrictions on residents' wellbeing. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic we have introduced more stringent cleaning measures and continue to do so.

We encourage residents to follow government advice to keep themselves safe, and we ensure appropriate precautions are taken by our staff and volunteer teams. 

We will react swiftly to any suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 within a service to keep others safe. 

In the event of a staff member or volunteer being Covid-19 positive or displaying symptoms, we will follow the government's guidance for care and housing settings to minimise the risk of infection spreading.

We provide regularly updated guidance to all of our employees and have appropriate stocks of PPE to ensure our staff can support residents safely and minimise any potential risk of Covid-19 transmission.

If a resident is approaching the end of their life, visiting will always be accommodated. Please speak to the manager who will make arrangements so that you can visit your relative safely.

Unless a resident is Covid-positive on discharge, there are no isolation requirements for residents discharged from hospital to an Abbeyfield sheltered house. We would ask that all residents returning to an Abbeyfield house following a hospital stay complete a rapid lateral flow test on their return prior to mixing with other residents. Residents who are COVID-positive are asked to self-isolate to prevent the spread of infection.

For care home residents, there are no isolation requirements upon discharge from hospital – unless the resident is Covid-positive or there was an active outbreak in the hospital ward that the resident is being discharged from. Every resident (including a resident that is Covid-positive) will still be enabled to receive at least one visitor during a period of isolation.

Please speak to the manager if you have any questions.

Our Member Societies are independent organisations, subject to the regulations in their country.  However, we are in regular contact with the staff and volunteers who manage these Societies and share with them the guidance we provide to our centrally managed services.

If you have any questions about your loved ones please do not hesitate to contact the house or home manager where they reside. Alternatively, if you have any queries regarding our management of Covid-19 you can email covid19@abbeyfield.com

We continue to welcome new residents into our properties. You can view our properties by going to our website homepage and searching for the relevant house or area. Please then contact the relevant manager to see if there is availability.

In order to ensure the safety of our residents and staff and reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 we have had to adapt our process for new admissions in both housing and care services.  Please see below for more information.

Following the easing of restrictions viewings can take place on-site although virtual viewings (which may be a pre-recorded video tour or a video call) will continue to be offered where appropriate.

Please contact the house or home manager to discuss the available options.

We will continue to complete a pre-admission assessment with all new residents.  Under normal circumstances, care homes would arrange to visit the person to assess their needs and preferences before admission. Assessment visits may take place where required with appropriate precautions in place.  Alternatively, the assessment may be completed using post, email or telephone/video calls with the person and other relevant individuals involved. 

New residents are asked to take a Covid-19 rapid test on their moving in day, although this is not a condition of admission.

We will be flexible around moving in arrangements. An admission might be delayed, for example if the new resident becomes ill with Covid-19 during the moving process, or there is an outbreak in the house.

New residents are not required to isolate on admission. In line with government guidance, isolation is only required when a resident is Covid-positive or when a resident is being discharged from a hospital ward which has an active outbreak.

Residents moving in to an Abbeyfield care home do not need to self-isolate on admission unless they are Covid-positive or they are being admitted directly from hospital where there is an active outbreak. 

Where a new resident is required to self-isolate on admission, they will be enabled to receive visits from a nominated visitor during the period of self-isolation.

New residents should ensure they have arrangements in place for cleaning, packing, transporting and unpacking their belongings, which minimise the risk of contact transmission of Covid-19 on surfaces. All clothing should be laundered before being brought into the property. Our infection prevention and control measures for visitors will also apply to anyone assisting with the move.

We are accepting short stay respite admissions. Please contact the house or home manager to discuss.