Care home residents have been some of the hardest hit in terms of Covid restrictions. Limits on visiting resulting in increased isolation and loneliness for many. The good news is that care homes are now opening their doors to family and friends. Despite this, we know that for many, weekly 30-minute or one-hour visiting appointments to see their loved ones are all that’s on offer. This can often not feel like enough, particularly when connecting with others is so important for mental and physical wellbeing.

 

There is however a way that residents can see more of their loved ones - by nominating one of their visitors as an essential care giver or key visitor. This person can visit much more often, flexibly and for longer periods of time, and crucially can continue visiting even when other visitors are excluded because there are positive Covid cases in the care home.

 

We know from a recent survey carried out by Healthwatch Leeds this summer that there is low awareness of this role, with only 57% of care home residents’ family members saying that they knew about and understood the role. We want to shine a spotlight on how important the role can be for the wellbeing of people living in care homes as well as bust some myths about it.

Andrew’s wife Gay lives in a care home in Leeds and he is her essential care giver/ key visitor. We talked to him about his experience of the role.

 

Tell us about your wife?

We’ve been married for forty years now and she’s a delightful companion. We used to do lots of things together – country walks, travelling, art, music, culture, those sorts of things. She developed Parkinson’s disease about fifteen years ago, and about five years later, began to show early signs of dementia. She’s been in a care home for nearly five years, but she still knows who I am, and it’s quite obvious to me that we still have a very close relationship.

 

How was it for you both during lockdown?

When lockdown started, the worst thing was not knowing when or even whether I was ever going to see her again. The biggest challenge was with communication because Gay really can’t talk coherently. Video calls were more distressing than relieving - the first one I did, I watched her for half an hour lying on her bed crying. For Gay, she needed to feel that someone she knew and loved was there in person with her. She virtually stopped eating and drinking and was prone to increasing falls. It became apparent that life could not go on like that.

 

What do you do during a typical visit with your wifeasheressentialcaregiver/ keyvisitor?
Most of all, it’s about providing companionship and the comfort of being physically close. For the first few visits, we’d just sit next to each other, knowing that we were together. If the weather is good, we’ll go out for a walk and sometimes we might listen to music or watch TV. I take magazines and photographs to look at, reliving past experiences. Sometimes I help her with her food, but I am not expected to get involved with any personal care.

 

What safety precautions do you have to take?

I’m doing Covid testing regularly, in line with the care home staff. So that’s one PCR test a week that I do at the care home and two lateral flow tests which I can do at home. It’s all free, easily accessible and once you’ve done it few times, it just becomes part of your weekly routine. I wear PPE when I’m in her company which includes a mask that I’m allowed to take off if I’m having a cup of coffee or something like that. And of course, I have to wash my hands regularly. We largely confine ourselves to her room but if we go out for a walk, we keep our distance from other residents and staff.

 

What are the advantages for you of being an essential care giver/ key visitor?
I get to see her regularly and that is so important to me. The greatest advantage I have over standard visiting is that I can come and go, as and when I want, and I stay as long as I want. The other important thing is that I can continue to visit indoors even if there’s an outbreak of Covid, something I wouldn’t be able to do as a normal visitor.

 

And how do you think Gay has benefitted?

She’s just more at peace with life and gets comfort from being with me, from being able to hug and hold each other. I know that almost without exception, when I arrive, she calms down. If she’s upset, she sees me and goes, “Well that’s alright then”, and within minutes she’s calm. She’s also eating again and has regained the weight she lost. The other benefit to her was getting her outside and walking. She simply had not left the community that she lives in during the first lockdown. The first few trips out were so uplifting for her, just to feel the movement of air on her face and hearing outdoor sounds such as birdsong.

 

Why do you think there’s low take up of the role?

I don’t think a lot of care homes are promoting it, so people aren’t aware of it and therefore not asking for it. I certainly bump into other visitors going in and out of Gay’s home who don’t know about it.

 

What would your advice be to other people who have a friend or relative living in a care home?
Make contact with the care home manager and ask about the essential care giver role as every resident is entitled to one.

 

Thank you Andrew.

 

If you need any help and advice about it, contact Healthwatch Leeds on 0113 8 98 003 5 or email

info@ healthwatchleeds.co.uk