Outdoor pods opening at C&C care homes for Covid-19 secure visits
10/12/2020
C&C care homes have begun opening specially adapted visitor pods to enable residents to meet with loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Compton Lodge in Camden along with Cecil Court in Kew have already started the visits, which sees visitors and residents safely distanced and separated by a large Perspex screen, and with hand sanitiser readily available. Pods have also been set up at Homemead and Rathmore House and pod visits will commence at both sites imminently.
Commenting on the new pods, Julia Ashley, Chief Executive of C&C, said:
“The pods have been extremely well received by residents and relatives alike. With the inside of our homes closed to visitors, we’ve largely been relying on garden visits of late, which haven’t been ideal in colder and wetter weather. Our pods instead allow for a warm and comfortable visit while maintaining a Covid-19 secure environment.
“It is of course exciting news that the vaccine is in the process of being rolled out and indeed some of our care home staff in Richmond have already received it, while regular visitor testing can help safeguard against the virus. But even with these prospects, it remains vital for us to keep our homes protected from Covid-19. For example, while a resident may have been vaccinated, their relative may not have been. Therefore we fully anticipate continued use of our pods well into the New Year.”
“The pod visit was an absolute delight”
90-year-old Julius Schofield, who has lived at Compton Lodge since March 2019, was one of the first residents to receive a visitor in the new pod, known at the Lodge as ‘The Comfort Zone’, when his partner Joanna Neicho visited him on Thursday 3 December.
“The pod visit was an absolute delight,” said Joanna. “It’s very warm and cosy, brightly lit, with an entrance for residents and a separate door for visitors.”
“We did outdoor visits for as long as we could over the summer period. But when it got too cold, Julius sat one side of a window and I sat the other. This is a much more comfortable solution.
“The amazing carers here have done up the pods beautifully and thoughtfully, placing Christmas trees outside. We used to go to a beach hut in Southwold and Julius probably felt like he was back there. Especially as it was raining!”
“I’m up for having the vaccine as soon as possible – but in the meantime the pod is ideal”
Luing Andrews visited his mother Josephine Bold, 84, on Monday 7 December. Josephine, who lives with dementia, has been a resident at Cecil Court, Kew, for the past three years.
“It was really difficult to visit mum outdoors,” says Luing. “On the last couple of visits, it had been cold and raining and we could only see her for five minutes or so for her own health.
“The pod visits are so much better. It’s still hard – I can’t give her a cuddle, and I have to have a mask on – but it’s a nice little room with heating and a painting up on the wall.
“I’m up for having the vaccine as soon as it’s available, but in the meantime the pod is ideal. I was really impressed with it, and the home is a lovely place for my mother’s needs.”
New self-funded residents on a permanent stay can get two-weeks free care at any of our four care homes across London. Offer lasts until 31 January 2021. Visit ccht.org.uk/our-care-homes/ for details.