With official reports claiming the number of coronavirus-related deaths in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest weekly total in nine weeks, The Beeches Residential Home is keen to dispel the myths which have surrounded care homes during these unprecedented times.
Remaining COVID-safe
Despite national figures showing that around a third of all coronavirus-related deaths occurred in care homes, our Ixworth-based home has so far avoided having any COVID-19 related cases among staff or residents.
Our home has also welcomed several new residents during the pandemic. Every arrival was handled with care and efficiency by our team to ensure the health and safety of all involved.
Angela Wade, registered manager at The Beeches Residential Home, said: “This has been an incredibly hard time for everyone, so it’s good to see the figures are continuing to fall. The situation in care homes has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. But there’s no doubt that everyone has pulled together and done their very best to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both staff and residents.
“We know we are in a very fortunate position not to have had any cases so far but we stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the care sector. Our sympathies go out to all those who have lost people to this terrible virus.”
Across Suffolk, 163 people have died in care homes after testing positive for COVID-19, more than in bigger, neighbouring counties Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. During a recent media briefing, the Government said they will want to look into these “regional variations”.
Following government guidelines
Angela explains that our home will continue to comply with government guidelines. But is keen to reiterate that despite the figures, it is not all doom and gloom.
To protect our residents, we have followed government advice and closed our doors to external visitors. We have increased its activities to ensure our residents continued to enjoy doing the activities they love. These were activities such as arts and crafts, bingo and card games.
The care team also helped residents contribute to the cheerful window campaign. We have been creating and colouring a range of motifs to brighten the Ixworth high street. We’ve been sharing rainbows, flowers and silly faces in their window.
Residents have been keeping in touch with their friends and families thanks to our care team organising regular telephone and video calls. We are now looking ahead to accommodating socially-distanced visits while observing guidelines and the safety of all involved.
Angela added: “We are delighted to have been able to keep our residents in contact with their families and friends. Technology has certainly helped us to keep a bit of normality for everyone during this time. Starting this week, we are organising socially-distanced visits on the grounds. We would like to thank friends and family members for their cooperation as we move forward.”
The Beeches Residential Home is a specialist home with a team of dedicated care staff who provide around the clock care for residents. For more information, or to take a look around the home, please call 01359 230773.