12.17.2024 Juanita
Supporting residents to keep in touch
Maintaining regular communication with family and friends is vital for the overall health and wellbeing of individuals residing in care homes.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that consistent social interaction significantly reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation that many residents may experience. Regular conversations, video calls, or visits boost mood and contribute to improved mental health and emotional resilience.
By fostering these connections, residents can enjoy a sense of belonging and support, which is critical for their emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, positive social interactions can lead to increased motivation, better cognitive function, and an overall enhanced quality of life for those living in care homes.
Visiting and accompanying residents in care homes
On 6 April 2024, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced Regulation 9A, a new fundamental standard for visiting and accompanying residents in care homes. This standard emphasises the importance of supporting care home residents in maintaining social connections by facilitating visits from family and friends.
According to this regulation, care home residents must be actively encouraged to receive visitors and should not be discouraged from leaving the care home for outings or social visits. If necessary and proportionate, precautions should be implemented to enable visits to happen safely.
The amendment to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 9A aims to make sure that:
- People staying in a care home, hospital or hospice can receive visits from people they want to see
- People living in a care home are not discouraged from making social visits outside the home
- People attending hospital or hospice appointments who do not require an overnight stay are accompanied by a family member, friend or advocate if they want someone with them
Providers are not legally allowed to prevent residents from leaving the care home unless there is a lawful basis for restricting that person's movements and in accordance with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). However, in exceptional circumstances, proportionate precautions might be needed upon an individual's return.
In the specific circumstances of an infectious disease outbreak requiring precautions, advice on reducing visiting should always be time-limited, proportionate to each specific outbreak, and risk-based.
The following national guidance is available, which includes advice on care home visiting during outbreaks of infectious illness:
- Infection prevention and control in adult social care settings
- Infection prevention and control in adult social care: acute respiratory infection
- Influenza-like illness (ILI): managing outbreaks in care homes
- Scabies: management advice for health professionals
- Norovirus: managing outbreaks in acute and community health and social care settings
Enabling people to stay in touch
Relocating a loved one to a care home or having them reside in one can be emotionally challenging for both the resident and their family and friends. Family members and friends often worry about their loved ones' wellbeing and need to maintain consistent communication to ease their concerns.
Additionally, it is imperative for residents' health and wellbeing to feel supported and connected to their family and friends.
If a situation occurs where care homes are not permitting visitors, it is vital to establish another way to facilitate regular contact between residents and their loved ones.
Our resident experience tool, valued for its effectiveness and rapidly increasing popularity within the social care sector, is an easy-to-use, fully integrated 'hub' that facilitates communication and interaction between residents, their families, and care staff. This tool significantly enhances the residents' daily experience, providing them with a well-rounded and personalised support system.
Bringing residents' family engagement to the next level!
The resident experience tool allows care staff to seamlessly share special moments, photos, videos, and messages with residents, family members and friends. This helps to foster a deeper connection with the daily life and experiences of their loved ones in the home.
Additionally, residents can conveniently communicate with their family members and friends no matter where they are.
The resident experience tool's intuitive, user-friendly platform also makes it easy for family members and staff to schedule and conduct video calls. This ensures that residents can stay connected with their loved ones and support networks, fostering a sense of comfort and support.
And that's not all! Our resident experience tool's capabilities go beyond just that!
From giving families real-time access to their loved ones' care information to offering care staff valuable insights into resident participation levels in activities within the home, the resident experience tool enables care organisations to deliver a fully connected experience with social wellness and family inclusion at the forefront while also driving operational efficiency and revenue growth.
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