Some of the media attention on care homes has moved on in recent days.
We have had limited calls from journalists interested in COVID-19 statistics as they now recognise the amazing work of our staff. They are starting to ask about the financial position of care homes locally and nationally. We have written to local MPs and are preparing a further letter to the Minister around the stability of homes with our views on this vital subject.
As we have long argued, the delays in getting support from the Council have been difficult for all care homes. And we have no guarantees that the level of funding needed will continue after the 30th June.
We spoke to ITV Calendar this week about the problems which have been revealed in a report to the Sheffield City Council Scrutiny Committee. This report will not be a surprise to those of you who have followed our campaign to get more support from the Council.
The Sheffield Care Association will continue to push for more support from the Council and will ensure councillors and decision makers are held to account.
You can follow them online:
You can help keep the pressure on the Council by signing and sharing the petition online at https://www.change.org/p/sheffield-city-council-fair-fees-for-sheffield-care-homes
At Palms Row, we must continue to focus on getting the right support and doing 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.
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.
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.
Nicola Richards,
Director