We’ll meet again – and we do know when
THE CHALLENGES of Covid-19 and the fundamental change it is bringing to caregiving and our healthcare system will be felt for years to come. Social distancing, sourcing supplies and worrying over face-to-face visits are just some of the concerns of families and professional carers. These challenges are topics of conversation across the country and, of course, these were discussed and importantly acted upon at Jewish Choice early on.
Our independence means we can move with some speed and be proactive in meeting the residential care needs of the elderly in our community. Being hands-on helps. In the current circumstances, both our chief executive, Paula Peake and registered manager, Roger Ellis moved into the home and so have been here not only to retain an overview of the situation on the ground, but also to manage all that is necessary to ensure our high standards of care are maintained 24/7, despite the unprecedented circumstances — for residents both within the home and in the independent living apartments on-site. And crucially, to make sure our residents always feel safe and well looked after.
Being decisive, emanating from confidence in our expertise, enabled Jewish Choice to lock down some 10 days before Government guidelines were announced. Now we have moved with well-judged alacrity again and openedup the home to new residents, from across the Jewish community — and more quickly than most other care facilities. All residents are well, virus-free and benefiting from the extraordinary care from our extraordinary people, the heightened protection we provide, plus the exceptional support of our relatives and friends.
Many in the community will have found the social isolation of late particularly difficult. So we have instigated a new approach which not only encompasses our usual careful and comprehensive assessment of an individual’s circumstances, health and wellbeing, prior to an invitation being extended to live at our reassuring home-from-home, but now incorporates a coronavirus test too. New residents will enter Choice House in an isolation area and just to be extra cautious will remain there for up to seven days, yet will still benefit from the close care and attention for which Jewish Choice is renowned and for which relatives trust the charity implicitly. At that time, provided the test is negative and no symptoms are evident, we will integrate the new residents into the home. If the test proves positive, they will stay in the area longer and have appropriate treatment. Importantly, for essentials like medication management, GP visits and PPE, we have the systems in place to counter situations that may arise.
At Jewish Choice we are powerfully connected to the people we serve through our long-term relationships and at the root of all we do is that we are elderly-care professionals, with
Jewish Choice was quickly able to adjust to the new care scenario the expertise and experience to monitor the health and wellbeing of our residents. So we have adjusted well to a landscape that at present is constantly shifting. One of the hardest challenges has been curtailing visits from relatives, but now, being virus-free, we are judiciously managing visits again.
The first of these took place over three days from May 28, again ahead of most other elderly-care facilities. As you can see from the photos, we are well supplied with PPE and relatives were fully prepared on entering Choice House prior to meeting again with their loved ones. There was laughter and tears, sharing of stories and memories and plenty of Kleenex available.
At Jewish Choice, whatever the circumstances of our individual residents, their relatives, or external factors such as the coronavirus, we have a unity among our long-term employed care team, who do not work in other care homes. They make all our planning work, for the ultimate wellbeing of those we care for and who have chosen to make their home with Jewish Choice. We hope many other elderly members of the community will experience the benefits too.
We are powerfully connected to the people we serve’
Jewish Choice: 020 8908 4151, info@ jewishchoice.org, jewishchoice.org