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03
Dec 2020
Many Harrogate district care homes yet to reopen to visitors
Many care homes in Harrogate have yet to recommence visits despite new government guidance.
The government issued new guidance after lockdown saying 'care home managers are best placed to decide how visits should happen in their own setting in a way that meets the needs of their residents both individually and collectively'.
It also said it was issuing rapid covid tests to registered care homes during December for visitors to use. Each home should have enough to test up to two visitors per resident, twice a week by Christmas.
But right now many people are still unable to visit loved ones in the run-up to Christmas.
Judy Bass, from Harrogate, has only seen her father twice since March and one of those visits took place behind a window. Her father's home is still not allowing indoor visits.
Ms Bass hoped the rapid test kits would allow her to visit but her father's home has still not updated its guidance on visits.
She said:
Judy said the care home probably found it "easier to say no" rather than go through the additional strain of testing, which would require visitors having to wait 30 minutes for results.
Read more:
- Planning is in place to demolish a care home on Wetherby Rd to replace it with a larger facility.
- Local health bosses say they are ready to roll out the covid vaccine across the Harrogate district.
Elsewhere in Harrogate, other care homes are planning to allow visits.
MHA a charity that runs 83 care homes in England, including Berwick Grange in Harrogate, has said it will allow visits under the new guidelines. But it has yet to receive the testing kits from government.
Allowing up to two visitors, per resident, to be tested twice a week, would significantly increase staff workload.
MHA chief executive, Sam Monaghan, said:
Do you have a loved one living in a care home? Are you happy to talk about how the pandemic has impacted your visits? Please get in touch with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
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