Fife care homes get green light to re-start indoor visits

Care homes across Fife have been given the go-ahead to re-introduce indoor visits for relatives of elderly residents.

Approval came from Fife Health And Social Care Partnership (FHSCP) after Monday’s deadline for submitting plans expired.

The vast majority of Fife’s 76 care homes delivered their proposals on time - but a “small number” did not.

The deadline was set by the Scottish Government to begin the process of re-opening care homes after five months in lockdown which has left many elderly residents isolated, and put a huge emotional burden on worried family members.

Current restrictions mean only one relative can visit once per week for 30 minutes, and it must take place outdoors.

The next stage would be to allow those visits - still only by one person - to move indoors before the onset of autumn and then winter.

Nicky Connor, director of Fife Health And Social Care Partnership, said: “Residents in our care homes are among the most vulnerable to the effects on COVID-19 and so it is crucial that the appropriate measures are in place to enable indoor visiting to take place safely.

“The vast majority of care homes in Fife have now submitted the required information and have subsequently been approved to commence indoor visiting for residents.

“A small number of care homes have provided information and this is either being checked or additional information has been requested. “

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She said the partnership was waiting on information from the homes which didn;t meet the deadline, and added: “We are working with those establishments to ensure appropriate risk assessment and visiting protocols are in place to allow indoor visiting to take place in these care homes soon.”

But the return to normality will be a very slow process for families who have been left deeply concerned at the impact of such limited direct access during the pandemic.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Care home providers were asked to submit their plan to the relevant health board’s director of public health by Monday.

“These would then be signed off once the director of public health was satisfied and if the home meets all the criteria for indoor visiting.

“To do this care homes must have been free of COVID-19 for 28 days and should be participating in the care home staff testing programme.”

Some NHS boards have held off a resumption of indoor visits, while others are working on a home by home basis.

Getting the balance between protecting elderly residents and access for families is key, said one Fife politician.

Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “Whilst we are still learning and need to learn more about the virus, we do know that care homes are particularly vulnerable to this disease and once in a home it does spread more easily putting residents and staff at risk.

“Whilst I understand the impact on individuals of not seeing loved ones I do believe that the safety of all residents and staff must come first.

“I have talked with families and I know they are desperate to see and be with their loved ones in what is their homes but they want their loved ones to be safe and that means taking a careful and cautious approach to indoor visiting.

“Too many residents of care homes have become ill and too many have died from this virus and that is why we must remain cautious with restriction in place to ensure safety first.”

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: "Guidance on visiting care homes is a matter for the Scottish Government and we expect all care homes to follow that guidance closely so that residents and their loved ones are safe."

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