New guidelines for care home visits in Fife come into effect

New rules for visits to care homes in Fife come into force from today (Monday).

The tight restrictions on access have been eased slightly, and up to three people from no more than two households can now visit a loved one.

But meetings must be outdoors.

Since the start of July, families across Fife with a loved one in a residential care home have had just one weekly 30-minute visit for one nominated relative.

Now, the Scottish Government has confirmed new arrangements are in place, but there is still no access to relative’s rooms or any communal areas of the home.

Care home owners have been ordered to draw up plans to re-open their doors, and submit them to Fife’s director of public health by August 24, but they will only be for one nominated visitor.

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Jeane Freeman MSP, Health Secretary, said: “This has been, and continues to be, a very challenging time for care home residents, their families and staff.

“Care homes are, first and foremost, people’s homes and we are committed to reintroducing measures that allow residents to connect with their family and friends. But this must be done safely and with precautions.

“Progress has been made since we reintroduced one designated outdoor visitor earlier this month, and I am pleased the clinical advice is now that care homes that meet the strict criteria can now allow residents to have up to three outdoor visitors from no more than two households.”

She added: “It is important that we continue to monitor this situation and that all changes within care homes happen incrementally and with real caution to protect residents and staff.

“At this point in time clinical advice is not to restart indoor care home visiting, but to ensure the necessary plans are in place to move to this as soon as safe to do so.

“ This is being continually monitored and I hope we can give a further update on this in the coming weeks.”

Essential visits, including those involving end of life care, and visits for residents who are experiencing distress have been permitted throughout the pandemic and should continue to be supported by care homes.

The Scottish Government said it is also working on re-starting communal activity within care homes and to reintroduce external outings for residents.

Ms Freeman described this as “a complex piece of work.”

Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, welcomed the changes, adding: “The last few months have been exceptionally hard for folks in our care homes and for their families, being separated with only limited, often virtual, contact

“At the beginning of July we opened up care homes to outdoor visiting and I am very pleased that in our slow journey back to normal life we can shortly allow the careful start of a degree of indoor visiting subject to local sign off by public health officials.

“ As well as this, it is positive that an increase in the numbers able to visit residents outdoors is now possible.

“Throughout the restoration of family visiting, we have tried to strike the hard balance between getting people back to seeing and being with their families and keeping residents, staff and others safe from the virus.

“We are very aware of how pernicious this virus is so guidance and measures will remain in place to protect everyone.”

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