May 2021
Latest update: 4 May
New guidance allows for out of care home visits without isolating on return
Government guidance about visits out of care homes has been updated as of 4 May. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arrangements-for-visiting-out-of-the-care-home/visits-out-of-care-homes-supplementary-guidance.
The guidance allows a care home resident to undertake a trip to an outside location, such as a park, or a family member’s garden, without having to isolate in their rooms on return to the care home. Visits are subject to arrangements being discussed with each resident’s named visitor/s or essential care giver.
During an outdoor visit, residents should ideally be accompanied, this can be by a care home employee, one of their named visitors, or their essential care giver. The resident and their companion, and any relatives or friends who they visit, must have a negative result from a LFD test before the visit, be free of COVID-19 symptoms, and feel well.
The resident and those they are visiting are advised to maintain social distances, wash hands regularly and wear a face mask. Residents must not go inside; except to use a toilet (preferably not a public toilet) or to vote on 6 May. Residents who visit a polling station to vote should be accompanied by a care home employee to help facilitate a safe visit.
Medical appointments, which take place in a controlled indoor environment such as a hospital outpatient clinic, or dentist and are essential for the health and wellbeing of our residents, may also take place without the need for isolation on return to the care home, with the completion and authorisation of an individual risk assessment.
Visits which do not meet the above criteria, or cannot be safely facilitated after a risk assessment, will result in the resident undertaking a 14-day isolation period, with full in-room support, on return to the care home, as per the care home visiting guidance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arrangements-for-visiting-out-of-the-care-home/visits-out-of-care-homes
Outdoor visits and trips will be suspended if the care home is affected by a COVID-19 outbreak, although a medical appointment may be an exception in this case.