Praise for staff at Ochil

Staff at a Perthshire care home have been praised for helping keep residents free of cornronvairus.

At the time of going to press, Ochil Care Home in Perth had recorded no cases of COVID-19.

Bosses at the Barchester-operated home, which is still accepting new admissions, praised staff for their “incredible efforts”and the local community for their positive messages.

A spokesperson for Barchester told the PA strict measures are put in place at Ochil Care Home before accepting a new resident.

He said:“We are open to admissions, and with the safety of our staff and residents always at the forefront of what we do we are ensuring that we apply safe protocols for any new admission.

“We require that any potential new resident has been tested negative for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic.

“If this is the case then we are able to accept the resident so long as they are happy to isolate within the home for 14 days.”

Staff at the Perth Care Home have worked tirelessly, remaining upbeat for their residents and even creating a lockdown suggestion box.

Residents were invited to write down their suggestions on how to keep everyone’s spirits up - whether it be their favourite song to sing, a movie they enjoy watching, an activity they miss or their favourite meal.

The care home has also been inundated with heartwarming letters and messages from the local community and further afield to keep the positive vibes flowing during this difficult time.

Liz Stewart, general manager at Ochil Care Home, said:“We are proud not to have had a case of COVID-19 at the home so far and I want to applaud my staff for their incredible efforts.

“I would also like to thank the community for its support. This has been received through messages on social media, as well as in letters and drawings to the home and this has really helped put a smile on the faces of our residents and staff.

“As a team we are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our residents during this unprecedented time and we have a number of measures in place to ensure residents remain engaged and connected within our home.

“We are of course limited in what we can do but we have scheduled a number of activities for residents including a bagpiper performing in the garden and small group activities that residents are able to take part in whilst distancing.”