A care home in Oxfordshire rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission has installed a Covid-secure visitor centre to allow residents to see loved ones during winter.
The room at Churchfields care home in Cassington includes an airtight, toughened glass screen, as well as an air purifier, surround sound system, and wi-fi connection to enable other family members to also link in virtually at the same time.
In addition, the visitor centre features a ramp to allow facilitate easier access. Visitors will enter and exit the room through a different door from staff and residents to minimise the risk of infection.
Churchfields is among the first care homes in the country to install Hydroxyl generators, which is an air purifier that sterilises the room, providing real-time protection against airborne allergens, pollutants, and viruses.
Alongside full deep cleans, the use of the generators between visits aims to add an extra level of safety to help ensure all visits are Covid-secure.
“We are all excited about the possibility of a vaccine coming next year, but realistically, it will still take several months for the country to return to a degree of normality,” said Churchfields owner Jane Roberts.
“In the interim, this purpose-built facility, will keep our families connected in a lovely setting, over the winter months,” she added.
Churchfields meanwhile has been using Cellmark, a local laboratory, to carry out all their weekly surveillance testing that allows it to receive Covid results within 24 hours rather than the usual five to seven days.
The service will continue in the home alongside the use of Roche rapid testing kits to provide a multidimensional approach to keep residents safe.
