Covid-19: Care home rules easing 'too little, too late'

A woman whose father is in a care home has described the easing of visiting restrictions as "too little, too late".

On Thursday, the Department of Health announced that there will no longer be a restriction on the number of people who may visit but visits remain limited to two households per day.

Overnight stays will also be facilitated for care home residents.

Tina Girvan, whose father Joe is in a care home in county Armagh, said the change doesn't go far enough.

"It doesn't change anything for outbreaks," she said.

"Care homes are going in and out of outbreaks, with some in rolling outbreaks, which means they've been in a rolling outbreak for weeks.

Tina welcomed the move but said it has not changed much for her father Joe

"Some care homes then, like my father's care home, was in an outbreak, came out for a day, and we are back into outbreak again.

"So it changes nothing in that respect."

However, Mark King, who owns a care home in county Down said he welcomed the further easing of visiting restrictions.

He said maintaining the restriction on visiting during a Covid outbreak is a sensible measure.

Mark King says care home owners need to protect the vulnerable

"Covid is still here, we are still dealing with vulnerable people, who are, by their very nature, vulnerable," he said.

"So in this particular home we have three units and two of them are actually closed to visitors at this point in time simply because we have Covid be it either residents or staff.

"I think families, after two years, understand the difficulties and appreciate it and are working with it."

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Older People in NI, Eddie Lynch said Thursday's changes marked a "big step forward towards normality".

Eddie Lynch said the changes were an improvement for many residents

He said that not only will the quantity of visits be increased, their quality will be enhanced.

"It now allows brief hugging, it allows people to arrange overnight stays, makes it easier for people to be taken out on day trips from care homes," he said.

"So I think it's going to improve the quality of living for many residents right across Northern Ireland."

'Positive step'

Visitors to care homes are being asked to continue to wear face coverings, have good hand hygiene and take lateral flow tests.

Independent care homes will be following advice from the Department of Health.

Previously the guidance was a maximum of four people from no more than two households at any one visit and a maximum of four visits per week.

• What are Northern Ireland's rules on Covid-19?

The Health Minister Robin Swann said the change was a "positive step forward and something that I know people have been wanting to see for some time".

"It is down to the effectiveness of our Covid-19 vaccination programme and the reduced threat from the Omicron variant that we have been able to progress to the next step of the pathway," he said.

Some private care homes are also taking the decision to restrict visitors

"It's important that we remain mindful of the risk that Covid presents and that visitors should continue to follow the public health advice."

It has also been confirmed that the care partners scheme will be extended to hospitals and hospices.

The care partner initiative, which was introduced in late 2020, allows a designated relative or carer to provide additional support to a resident.

'This is good news'

We are seeing an opening up of care facilities.

This is good news - not only for residents and those inside hospitals and hospices - but particularly for their families.

Remember those pictures of people looking inside windows of care homes? For many that is only a year ago.

We all know someone who has had to make that difficult decision where only certain members of the family were allowed to go in.

This sector was among the hardest hit by the pandemic with some very difficult choices for families.

The remaining Covid restrictions in Northern Ireland have been removed.

The need for Covid certificates in nightclubs, face coverings, track and trace requirements and the cap on 30 people in private homes are no longer legal requirements.

Mr Swann said the remaining measures would instead be issued as guidance to the public.