EARLY PRESENT FOR RESIDENTS AT CARE HOME
NEW PODS ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN
RESIDENTS at a Carmarthen care home have been given an early Christmas gift with the introduction of a visiting pod for them to see loved ones face-to-face.
Last month, Plas-y-Dderwen Care Home in Johnstown started allowing visitors again after the lifting of Wales’s second lockdown.
However, these were only window visits, but now a dedicated pod has been placed outside the home for residents and relatives to sit and talk, albeit separated by a protective screen due to the ongoing battle against coronavirus.
Bosses at the home said in a statement: “The pod opening was a fantastic day and we were lucky to be joined by some of the friends and families of Plas-y-dderwen.”
Carmarthen mayor Cllr Gareth John oversaw the official opening by cutting the ribbon and welcoming one of the home’s residents and his wife as the first official visitors to the pod.
The loving couple had only been able to visit each other through the window for a number of months and were both overjoyed to be together again in the warmth and comfort of the pod.
Barchester Healthcare, which owns the home, has put in place plans to have these pods in as many of their homes in the UK as possible.
Cllr John said he “fully appreciated the role that carers have”.
“The community is only now starting to understand the importance of care and the challenges that everyone involved has faced to make life as normal as possible, given the dire restrictions that we have faced.”
He added that he “knows the impact of families not being able to see their loved ones and how much they appreciate the efforts being made to make this happen.”
While Barchester took its own steps, the Welsh Government announced a roll-out of pods to care homes in Wales last month to facilitate family visits over Christmas.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the £3 million pilot would see an initial 30 pods given to care settings ahead of the festive period, with 100 in total due to be installed later.
The cash figure also includes £1 million to support providers who want to make their own arrangements to facilitate visits.
At the start of the first Uk-wide lockdown in March, Plas-y-dderwen made a rallying call to the town to send in letters and for children to send drawings and paintings to entertain the residents.
Bosses at the home said at the time the gesture would help brighten the days for residents that were finding it lonely being isolated from their loved ones.