NEWS
COVID-19 testing expanded for social care Government has announced that more COVID-19 testing will be carried out for social care, with all care home residents and all social care staff with COVID-19 symptoms being tested for the virus. Up until this announcement, testing was available for the first five symptomatic residents in a care home setting to provide confirmation of whether there was an outbreak. However, Government has expanded testing to include all care home residents and staff
who develop symptoms. Testing will now also be provided to all those who are to be discharged from hospital to a care home, before they are discharged. If the person tests positive, providers will be able to take appropriate action to ensure that social care workers and other residents are safe – including implementing isolation procedures for those who test positive. The Health and Social Care Secretary has also confirmed that every social care worker who
needs a test can now get one. Government will prioritise the testing of symptomatic social care workers and anyone in their households who have COVID-19 symptoms. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is leading the co-ordination of more COVID-19 testing for social care, and should by now have contacted all 30,000 care providers. Care providers should identify workers eligible for testing and refer them to their local testing centre.
COVID-19: adult social care action plan The Government has set out its plan for how it will support the adult social care sector in England throughout the coronavirus outbreak. It includes details about controlling the spread of infection in care settings, supporting the workforce, supporting independence, supporting people at the end of their lives, responding to individual needs, and supporting local authorities and the providers of care. The plan applies to all settings and contexts in which people receive adult social care. This includes people’s own homes, care homes and care homes with nursing, and community settings. It applies to people with direct payments and personal budgets, and those who fund their own care. The sector has responded with
mixed feelings, with most grateful for the plan but worried it’s come too late. Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) has called the plan a 'canter through the Government’s reactions thus far', stating, 'What the sector needs is a clear plan that instils confidence among social care providers coupled with a meaningful commitment of financial investment in a sustainable future.' Meanwhile, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said, 'At long last, the Government has recognised the role of the social care sector in this fight back against coronavirus...A plan for our sector should have come sooner. 'It’s good that testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) are now being prioritised for social care workers who need it most, but it is vital that it reaches
them. There must also be enough for unpaid carers, some of whom are caring for extremely vulnerable people, including those who are shielding.' Chair of Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and former Care Minister, Paul Burstow, stated, 'The growing death toll amongst social care workers and those they care for is deeply distressing. It demands a determined effort to ensure that social care now gets everything it needs to carry on caring. The Government’s strategy is an overdue recognition that social care is on the front line battling to keep the most vulnerable and frail safe from COVID-19. A fitting legacy of the pandemic would be that finally after decades of delay the time has come for reforming our social care system, not for patching.'
Joint statement on advance care planning The Care Quality Commission (CQC), Care Provider Alliance (CPA), British Medical Association (BMA) and Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) have issued a joint statement on advance care planning. The statement sets out and reaffirms guidelines on advance care planning, noting that plans should be individual and not applied to groups of people. It accepts there is additional pressure on providers currently, but says, 'The importance of having a personalised care plan in place, especially for older people, people who are frail or have other serious conditions has never been more important than it is now during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Where a person has capacity, as defined by the Mental Capacity Act, this advance care plan should always be discussed with them directly.' With regards to those who do not have mental capacity to decide on care plans for themselves, the statement suggests, 'It is reasonable to produce such a plan following best interest guidelines with the involvement of family members or other appropriate individuals.' The statement is extremely clear on how advance care plans should be applied to people, expressing that decisions must be made on an individual basis. More information is available at www.scie.org.uk. CMM May 2020
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