COVID-19 RESPONSE

Our COVID-19 Response

VSA has been caring for the people of Aberdeen for 150 years, and during this time we have supported generations of your families through two World Wars, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the Aberdeen Typhoid outbreak.

Today, we are here for you, helping care for you or your vulnerable relatives and friends. The Coronavirus outbreak is one of the most challenging we have faced due to its highly contagious nature.

Our Response at our Residential Sites:

We have 22 residential sites across Aberdeen City, and our team of carers and support workers are working tirelessly to ensure that your loved one(s) do not feel alone or isolated during this time. The health and wellbeing (both physical and mental) of the people we care for and our staff is of the utmost priority for VSA.

We were actively monitoring the evolving situation regarding the virus from mid-January, with full pandemic planning meetings commencing in February. At VSA, the welfare of the vulnerable people we support and our staff is our utmost priority and we have had no cases of COVID-19 in any of our residential sites.

Our sites have been undergoing random COVID-19 testing, and we are really pleased to share that to date all staff and residents’ tests have been negative.

At VSA, we implemented our enhanced infection prevention and control protocols ahead of Government advice; a conscious decision that we believe saved lives.

Key infection control steps we have taken but are not limited to, include:

Strengthened our PPE reserves in February - we continue to ensure that we have a 4-6 month operating pandemic stock level.

Implemented our enhanced infection control measures at all sites from 2nd March.

Block-booked additional agency staff, known and exclusive to specific sites, at the beginning of March for a four-month period to ensure that, in a worst-case scenario, we could still deliver the outstanding level of care that we are renowned for.

Suspended all external visitors until further notice (includes next of kin) to our residential sites (including sheltered housing complexes) on the 12th March unless for exceptional circumstances such as end of life care or medical assistance.

All external packages suspended from arriving at our residential sites to aid with infection control.

Invested in medical equipment, such as Oxipulse meters, so that our staff could undertake daily medical observations on residents – we take all residents’ temperatures, oxygen levels and pulse rates daily to look for any early signs and symptoms of the virus.

Closed all communal areas in our residential sites and implemented social distancing measures.

Our staff had full access to PPE from early March and staff have been wearing full PPE to protect our residents and other employees.

Enhanced deep cleaning of all traffic areas in our sites and staff areas regularly.

Since March, all staff have been required to undergo daily temperature checks as they arrive for a shift.

Provided daily briefings to employees, and our team have had access to our own in-house Occupational Health Nurse.

Provided daily briefings to employees.

Invested in an Occupational Health team to support colleagues with their physical and mental wellbeing.

Over the past four months, our team has worked tirelessly to adapt the support and companionship they provide to our residents in their later years to provide additional mental health support and cognitive stimulus to maintain their wellbeing.

This included but was not limited to:

We have provided our residents with technology such as iPads and mobile phones, so that they can maintain vital visual contact with a loved one(s) via video calling.

Introduced a range of sociallydistanced gentle exercise classes.

Introduced digital entertainment trolleys so that our residents, for example, can take part in virtual bingo, sing-along sessions, and reminiscence activities.

Invested in additional staff, so that staff have more dedicated time to spend with each resident on a oneto-one basis to discuss areas of interest, partake in hobbies, help upskill our residents on how to use technology and play card/board games, or help our residents take gentle walks in our grounds.

Invited well-known Scottish music singer, Fiona Kennedy to undertake virtual concerts for our residents.

Art therapy sessions.