We are deeply saddened to report that another of our residents has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19.
Our thoughts are with the family and the families of all of those who have lost loved ones to this terrible virus.
While the numbers of cases of COVID-19 are still much lower than they were at the peak this sad news serves as a reminder that the pandemic has not left us.
We continue to do all we can to prevent the spread of infection and maintain hospital-standard levels of infection control.
Sadly, this means that our homes still remain closed for visitors for now, but we have continued to facilitate “window visits” and are using technology to help residents keep in touch with their families.
We must also continue to use the time now to take action to ensure we are well prepared in case a second wave hits the country.
The Government has released “infection control” funds to care homes and we are looking at measures that we can take which will help improve our already high standards even further. Sadly, the use for this money is very restricted and we were already implementing much of what it can be spent on (and the Government has said we can only use this money for new measures).
In the coming days we will be challenging the Government on the restrictions they have put in place.
In addition, we will continue to push the Council for more support. The petition calling on the Council to take action has now had more than 1,000 signatures.
It calls for Sheffield City Council to end the crisis in the city’s care homes by:
• Immediately increasing fees by the 15% recommended by Care England to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Making the planned strategic review of care in the city independent of current office holders and decision makers and for it to be published by September 2020.
• Ensuring care homes are given the adequate support and funding they need now and in the future.
You can sign and share the petition online at https://www.change.org/p/sheffield-city-council-fair-fees-for-sheffield-care-homes.
You can find out more about this campaign by keeping an eye on our website (and that of Sheffield Care Association) for the latest news and we will continue to appear in the media to fight for our services in the short and long term.
As carer week we have a short video on the Sheffield Care Association facebook page saying thank you to all of our hard working teams. If you can like and share to show the good work all our homes are doing across Sheffield. Palms Row have supported the We Care campaign buying the we care badges for our staff which they will wear with pride.
Finally, just a reminder that to help families get a sense of what’s going on, we’ve increased the number of posts on our Facebook page to give you a glimpse of how we are trying to support our residents and make their lives as comfortable as possible.
This week we have featured birthday celebrations, haircuts and we have posted more pictures of life inside the homes where staff are doing their best to keep residents in good spirits. We’ve also been sent more lovely donations from the community and we are all truly grateful for your support.
Palms Row will provide all of the necessary support to make sure that ongoing care for residents continues in the same high standards that we have provided for many years, but we will also continue to put pressure on those who make the decisions not to forget about care homes during this crisis.
Nicola Richards,
Director