Dec 2021
Planning for Christmas in OSJCT homes
Christmas plans, activities and visiting arrangements
Dear family member, loved ones and friends,
As Christmas fast approaches our homes are busy organising decorations, activities, entertainers, and festivities to brighten this time of year. As always, our aim is to give our residents the best Christmas we can while keeping everyone as safe as possible.
One of this year’s highlights was Sing for Hope in May, a musical celebration which our homes and offices took part in, through zoom. We are excited to run another concert, Sing for Joy, on 8 December, when all out homes will join to sing together, again via zoom. Look out for pictures on social media from all the events and activities taking place in our care homes throughout December.
Planning for Christmas visiting
We are working to Government guidance and our protocols, as we make plans for Christmas visiting. News such as the emergence of the new variant of concern, Omicron, mean that we cannot guarantee that there won’t be changes to national guidance and we will contact you if we need to change any visiting arrangements. We thank you in advance for your support with events that are beyond our control.
Forward planning will help our care home teams to organise activities and resources in the home over the festive period.
Visits in
For any home that is not in outbreak over Christmas we expect to be able to facilitate visiting in line with current protocols. As it will be an especially busy time, we are asking relatives to contact their homes early to request visiting appointments and to be amenable to any local guidance from care home managers, who aim to share visiting opportunities equally across all residents.
If the home is in outbreak over the Christmas period, residents will still be able to receive Essential Care Giver visits (as long as both are fit and well) in line with local booking arrangements.
Visits out
Residents, who are fit and well, are able to leave their care home for a visit with loved ones, and this includes during the Christmas period. They are also able to stay overnight with a family member, without having to isolate on return to the care home. Relatives should put in a request to their care home manager to plan a visit so that the visit can be risk assessed where appropriate.
Any visit to a busy venue where social distancing may not be possible, will be risk assessed and the home may ask the resident to undergo in-room care until the return of a negative PCR test, to protect all residents in the home. If a resident is frail or poorly, a request to take them out of the care home for a visit may not be possible, and if this is the case, your Home Manager will explain their reasons in full.
With best wishes
Mike Stredder
Operations Director