COVID-19 Coronavirus Information
Covid Status
Bay House does not currently have any Covid positive cases.
Admissions
Our admission procedures during this time have been revised to ensure that we keep our existing residents safe.
- Anyone who is admitted will be required to be tested 24hrs prior to their admission to Bay House.
- On admission the new resident will be taken immediately to their bedroom and kept under strict isolation and observation for 14 days.
- The new resident will undergo the basic screening and infection control procedures such as taking their temperature, full body wash, laundering all their clothes and disinfecting all their belongings.
Infection Control
We have adopted the highest and most stringent standards of infection control practices.
- Temperature Screening for all staff and visitors
- Supervised Hand washing
- Controlled deep cleaning and sanitation progamme carried out daily
- Staff cohorted to certain work areas
- Staff uniform laundered in house
- Separate ‘scrubbing in’ building for staff
- Isolation facilities for staff
- Prohibit the use of agency staff
- Provision of comprehensive PPE items
Temperature Screening
All staff have their temperature taken and recorded 3 times a day
All residents have their temperature taken twice daily.
Isolation & Barrier Nursing
All new admissions will be required to isolate and remain in their bedrooms for a period 14 days.
Our staff are fully trained in Barrier Nursing to contain any actual infection risk to a certain area or bedroom.
Should there be any number confirmed cases of Covid amongst the residents then we be moving them to a specific isolation unit created within the home.
PPE
We have had a sufficient supply of PPE from the very outset. In order to provide our staff with the best possible protection to stop the spread of the virus we arranged for shipments to be brought in very early on and before the struggle for the limited stock available in this country became a huge challenge.
We provide the following for our staff:
- KN95 Face Masks
- Face Visors
- Gloves
- Aprons
- Full body hooded Gowns
- Hair Nets
- Shoe Covers
- Eye Goggles
Staffing
At most times we have managed to maintain a safe and effective level of staffing throughout the outbreak period. This was achieved, as it is normally, by the team coming together and putting in those extra hours.
This teamwork also helped to avoid the use of any agency staff.
Covid Training
In addition to our regular training programme for our staff which includes Infection Control, every single member of our team has undergone specific training on Covid 19 which covers the following:
- Signs & Symptoms
- How the virus spreads
- Personal Hygiene
- Isolating
- Testing
Covid Testing programme
As soon as the Covid Testing Portal for care homes went live we began accessing it; testing both residents and staff.
We continue to follow a programme of periodic testing with the aim of proactively managing any potential outbreaks.
Doctor & Health Visits
With the restrictions in place on face to face visits from health professionals, GPs and other clinicians are carrying out assessments virtually over video calls.
Other non-essential in person health visits are still not allowed.
Visiting
It is so sad to see our residents being kept apart from those who are important to them.
Bay House took the very early decision to close its doors to anyone but staff and anything but pure essentials. This was to protect everyone from the virus.
We now have come up with a safe way of bringing our residents, their families and friends back together again.
Our Covid Secure Visiting Room is available for pre-booked appointments whatever the weather!
Hugs & Kisses
Unfortunately, until we are in a position that we can be totally safe and from no risk of this virus spreading to any of our residents we cannot allow any physical contact.
Gifts & Cards
We are consciously trying to limit the number of items being brought into the home.
Boxes and packaging holding essential products such as food and medication is carefully disinfected before being put into our storage.
We cannot accept gifts at the moment and would prefer that cards, letters and photos are sent to us electronically so that we can print these off in house.
Residents wishing to go out
We cannot put our residents in a position that they are exposed to others in the public.
So, time spent out in the fresh air is limited to our garden space only for the time being.
End of Life Visits
We have a separate End of Life Visiting protocol which is under the Registered Manager’s discretion.
Currently we can allow one member of the family a 15-minute bedside visit which will have certain safety conditions imposed.