It is fabulous news that the government has relented and agreed to allow care home residents some well-deserved freedom with the opportunity to leave their home and spend more time with loved ones and friends, without the onerous prospect of having to isolate for 14 days on their return.
It feels like the biggest step yet towards the return to ‘normality’ Our residents have been able to see a limited number of relatives and friends on and off at Ivy Lodge during the pandemic through a mixture of garden, window and indoor visits but the ability to leave Ivy Lodge is a real game changer. Visits have always been in some sense restricted if not by physical barriers like a window, a screen and full PPE then by the limited time in order to keep them safe -which has been our priority. This has however come at a considerable cost to their mental well-being, so being able to leave the home where they have been confined for over a year gives a true sense of freedom and a return to normality.
I can’t imagine being told I wasn’t allowed to leave my house or garden for over a year – I would feel very cut off from society and the rest of the world and I would be forever wondering what it would be like to see not just my family and friends but the beautiful Yorkshire countryside or some of the fabulous shops and cafes – in short it would be really depressing!
On hearing the news that they could be collected and taken to a park or a garden for the afternoon, our residents were overjoyed – it may need some warmer weather to fully appreciate the joy of their new-found freedom but hopefully summer is just around the corner. We can also look forward to re-starting our trips out to beautiful parks, gardens and places of interest which the residents so enjoy. I hope that these new rules make entering a care home for either respite or permanent care a totally different prospect.
New residents are able to join us at Ivy Lodge and know that; they will still get to see friends, family and the outside world, and that moving into a home means they will receive the care they need whilst still being able to enjoy much of life as they did before.
“My mother always informs me when I ring that she's had a lovely day so what more could you ask for!”
If you have any questions about joining us at Ivy Lodge please get in touch, we are always happy to help any way we can.
