COVID-19, working with the lockdown

Posted: 27 March 2020

It’s a difficult time for everyone, but we at St Kath’s are committed to doing all we can to make sure our customers and their families stay safe and well.

As a country, we have all been asked to work from home and not leave the house except for a brief period of exercise each day and shopping for essentials. Many of our families have already taken the decision to not visit their loved ones and we know this brings with it certain anxieties, particularly when it comes to shopping, and we’ve offered to help if customers need shopping done.

It’s important that care continues as normal, but there are some provisos;  ‘Social Distancing’ is now very much a fact, and all our staff have been told to maintain a distance of two meters (about six feet) except when actually performing personal care tasks – don’t worry, we won’t be asking anyone to have a wash with a brush on a long pole! This is to minimise the risk of any transmission of the virus, and when we do have to get close, like other healthcare professionals, we will be wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in certain circumstances.

Inevitably our customers will, sooner or later, see our carers in masks; please do not be alarmed or frightened, it’s for everyone’s protection. In addition, we always use gloves, and disposable aprons will now become the standard, as well as forearm protectors (“oversleeves”) where there is any bare skin in that area.

It’s about protecting us all and limiting the opportunity for any infection to jump from one person to another. Handwashing before, during and after visits will help to drastically minimise this risk and we have issued hand sanitiser to everyone in case they can’t easily wash their hands. That goes for the office as well!

Finally, we’re sending all carers a handy reference guide to the COVID-19 symptoms alongside the very much more common colds, asthma, hayfever and seasonal ‘flu in order to help people understand what they are. You’ll notice it at the top of the blog, and we must say “Thanks” to our colleagues from Boots for making it freely available. If you can’t download it or want a full-resolution copy, please email us at admin@stkatherinescare.com . Remember, when you get a sniffle it may well be nothing to do with Coronavirus, and this handy guide can help you sort that out,  it’s far too easy in these anxious times to start a panic.

While we’re talking about protecting our health, let’s not forget about mental health – the next few weeks are going to be difficult enough without undue anxiety and depression creeping in. We’ll be making an extra effort to maintain a positive attitude, and we hope you will too. Care is a partnership, help us to help your loved ones stay safe and well, and do please call the office if you have any queries or requests.