A new visiting room at a care home is allowing relatives to spend time with their loved ones
A visiting room has been implemented at a care home in Horsham to allow residents to spend time with their loved ones in a safe way during the colder months.
The visitors pod at Westlake House separates both resident and visitor with a large Perspex glass partition to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and is supported by an intercom system which amplifies voices for those who are hard of hearing.
Kate Day, general manager at the home, said: “The designated visiting room has been a much welcomed developmentforourresidents to continue to receive much looked forward to visits from their loved ones, as the weather changes.
“Alongside the continued offer of outdoor visiting, the designated room visits are well organised, and a lot of safety measureshavebeenput
in place to keep everyone safe. It was wonderful to see how happy it made the residents and their relatives in a warm and cosy environment.”
Visitors are required to have their temperatures taken and adhere to the test and trace protocol before entering the pod, however, this is completed outside of
the main building therefore there is no requirement for them to enter the building.
Infection control protocols and safe social distancing are in place for every visit, including a hand sanitiser station before entry and cleaning will take place after each visit to ensure chairs, seats, hard surfaces including windowsills, and the Perspex glass divider are wiped down appropriately.
The visiting pod has been carefully planned by Barchester Healthcare, which run Westlake House care home, and normal visits are hoped to be resumed once it is safe to do so following government guidance.