Care homes have been urged to take advantage of free PPE and other COVID-19 support measures to enable visits during England’s second lockdown which starts on Thursday.
Social Care Institute for Excellence chief executive Kathryn Smith says: “Safe visits are possible: This time, more is understood about the risks of transmission and measures are in place to keep people safe. And we should be more prepared.”
Support for care homes includes the Winter Plan for Social Care, and free PPE until the end of March 2021.
SCIE is among over 60 organisations to urge Government to make sure that care homes are supported to enable visits by families and loved ones, both in November and into the future.
SCIE says that preventative work and a well-recognised workforce remain imperatives for the Department of Health and Social Care. Smith says: “We must not give up on this clear vision of the future, even as the country is being asked to go back into lockdown.”
