Coronavirus: Care home staff moved in with residents after Covid-19 result

Staff moved out of their family homes for a fortnight and stayed at the care home

A care home manager believes staff who moved in helped prevent the spread of coronavirus when a resident with the illness was discharged from hospital.

Staff at Pinglenook Residential Home in Leicestershire spent two weeks sleeping on fold-out beds to minimise the spread of the virus.

They were not told of the positive test result until after the resident's return but a plan was already in place.

Leicester's Hospitals said care home patients were advised to isolate.

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The manager of the home in Barrow-Upon-Soar, Baljinder Kaur, and six staff stayed in empty bedrooms for a fortnight to care for residents.

"When we knew a resident was coming back to us after being in hospital I sent a message to everyone saying it was time for the plan", Mrs Kaur told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We all knew it was the best thing to do."

Mrs Kaur said the resident should not have been sent back to them until their test result had returned

Mrs Kaur said the resident was placed in isolation with dedicated carers looking after them - even before the team became aware their test results had returned positive.

"I should have been told before the resident came back to us they had been tested and had Covid-19," she said.

"If we hadn't taken the action, everyone in the home and the staff could have all ended up with it."

There have now been more than 11,000 deaths in care homes across the UK involving Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak.

Debra Mitchell, acting chief operating officer at Leicester's Hospitals, said every patient is tested in hospital and those returning to a care home are advised to self-isolate for up to 14 days.

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