We support, inform and speak on behalf of older people in care
After a month without any guidance on visiting in care homes in England, families and providers desperately needed clarity and leadership from Government. Unfortunately, the long-overdue guidance provides neither. Guidance was urgently needed to set out the action homes should take to protect residents whose human rights are at risk and how to safely […] Read More...
The Relatives & Residents Association is calling for PPE to be made available free of charge to care providers for all who need it: staff, residents and visitors. Lack of PPE and competition for it has meant that the most vulnerable suffer. Older people and those who look after them continue to be at the […] Read More...
Des Kelly OBE, R&RA Trustee, responds to the Prime Minister’s comment on care homes The backlash that has followed yesterday’s seemingly off-the-cuff remark by the Prime Minister that “too many care homes didn’t really follow procedures” relating to the COVID-19 crisis has been swift and strong – a ‘slap in the face to care workers’. It […] Read More...
The Prime Minister’s comment that “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures” are disappointing, insensitive and demonstrate a lack of leadership. These words will be a slap in the face for those who have been working, often under intolerable circumstances, to manage the pandemic. Care staff needed support and leadership to ensure they […] Read More...
Today we commemorate all the people who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has had a devastating impact and many thousands of older people receiving care have passed away since the outbreak began. Whilst the daily statistics are a heart-breaking reminder of this loss, the personal stories beneath the numbers are […] Read More...
View from a CEO of a medium size care home operator Restricting visits to prevent spread We began planning for the pandemic back in late February. This included the obvious need to restrict movement in and out of our care homes in order to protect our residents. We considered from the beginning that while […] Read More...
An increasing number of local councils is facing the prospect of issuing Section 114 notices: a statutory requirement to make their impending bankruptcy publicly known. This has come about as a result of virus pressures on their spending and greatly increased demands for care and support services coupled with much reduced income from council tax, […] Read More...
The UK’s lockdown has now spanned across four months. When the Prime Minister instructed the nation on 23 March “you must stay at home”, many care homes had already closed their doors to visitors. Anticipating the destruction the virus could cause in such settings, many homes changed their policies much earlier, restricting visits from family […] Read More...
“After four weeks of no contact with dad or the care home, as a family we were extremely worried about his mental and physical well-being” Anonymous R&RA Helpline caller Coronavirus is having a devastating impact on mental well-being in care. Older people living in care face isolation as usual support networks are cut off to […] Read More...
The Relatives & Residents Association and the National Care Forum have created a joint statement setting out shared expectations and good practice on the importance of clear, open and regular communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement is endorsed by the Care Provider Alliance, the Care Quality Commission and Skills for Care. The statement can be […] Read More...