How is COVID-19 impacting the live-in care sector?

 

How is COVID-19 impacting the live-in care sector?

Many experienced, long-established live-in carers agencies have been ensuring that their staff and clients are safe with their own infection control and testing procedures throughout the pandemic.

This pandemic has put an immense strain on live-in care services, with over 50 thousand deaths involving Coronavirus throughout as per the National Statistics. While the healthcare sector has been shored up with infection control fund from the UK government for testing, staff and PPE, the live-in care sector has not been fortunate enough to receive fund-flood such as other medical departments, even yet.  It’s almost a year since the pandemic has taken a storm over the world, but live-in care sector is still struggling to manage their best because of lack of government’s fund. 

We at Live-In Carers Direct have been always been transparent about the measures we have taken throughout the crisis for our staff before assigning them to our clients. We understand the value of life for both of our staff and clients. The world is facing a heavy second wave of Covid-19, while seniors are in most need of live-in carers because they can’t afford to risk their lives by visiting doctors at clinics or hospitals.

Safety of clients and staff

Live-in Carers Direct, established years ago, provides care at three different levels, including personalised, live-in nursing at clients’ own homes and private live-in care. Clients with family nearby or trusted party looking after them are able to use our introductory service. However, if the client has no one looking after them, they can benefit from our full-time live-in nursing care. We assure 24/7 companionship with medical assistance and household chores. We ensure the safety of our staff as well as clients through our very private COVID-19 testing. We have also been practising virtual infection control and training process.

The current growth of COVID-19 cases and lack of beds in the hospitals are certainly worrying. During the first wave of Coronavirus, and as many of you know, thousands of senior patients who did not appear to have COVID-19 symptoms were discharged from various hospitals into at-home care considering the fear of the virus being infested and fortunately many of those patients and existing residents have survived only because live-in care sector, no matter what, has been taking the specific needs and wants of each senior sincerely and carefully, despite facing lack of funding from the authorities.

Live-in Carers Direct, to speak of explicitly, is still paying very high prices for PPE for our staff, because our sector is still not being allotted with as many PPEs as we need from the higher authorities. We are still highly anxious about ensuring our staff and clients ‘safety,’ but thankfully we have not received any single confirmed COVID-19 case yet. Carers from Live-in Carers Direct do carry out their own testing because the Government’s current PCR swab test is no longer considered ideal as over 30% of them are generating false-negative result reports.

We at Live-in Carers Direct, since the outbreak of Cornovirus, have undertaken a lot of studies looking at different types of tests available and decided to remain active with our service to the elderlies in need, regardless of how worse the situation gets.

Winter – the influenza season considered to boost the number of COVID-19 cases

Usually, the winter is an influenza season which could further the complication of elderly patients. With Government’s lack of attention towards the live-in care sector, many live-in care agencies have been forced to shut down because they couldn’t continue arranging PPE, plus testing for their clients and staff on their own.

We are urging the UK Government for providing more financial support to the live-in care sector so that we can continue helping those in need, especially, senior citizens with dementia. Elderlies with dementia are difficult to manage, because not all healthcare providers specialise in it. Senior citizens with dementia conditions need specialised medical attention with 24/7 companionship (in severe cases). Live-In carers Direct takes pride in its years of servicing senior citizens with dementia and successful record. We want to continue being at service for our vulnerable people throughout the pandemic. Therefore, a little financial support will help us hold our grounds.

We strive to deliver quality care amidst the second wave of COVID-19 in the UK

Live-in carers Direct has included infection control as part of our training programme and has also put extra layers of this training since the pandemic started to ensure our staff and clients are protected.  We intend to continue our service for the sake of mankind and its well-being despite the lack of financial support from the up-top. Taking care of seniors at times like this is our religion and we will strive to practise it regardless of any hardships thrown in our way.

We are going to beat COVID-19 together.