Care home residents across the UK to only be allowed only three visitors this Christmas.

With new guidelines in place to limit the spread of Omicron, care home residents in the UK will now be allowed just three visitors and one essential caregiver. This new guideline, as well as an extra £300m made available to retain and recruit care workers have been implemented to fight the pandemic.

This winter, we need to help keep the most vulnerable people in our society safe from the virus. However, for Christmas, many families in the UK may have to choose who is allowed to visit their loved ones. A tough decision, but one required to keep us all safe.

But what is the Omicron variant? What is the UK doing to help care homes? What can care homes do to manage this new variant?

This article will provide all you need to know. Let’s get started.

What Is The Omicron Variant?

The Omicron variant of coronavirus is slightly different to previous variants Delta and Alpha. With its own symptoms, this variant is highly transmissible, spreading faster than any other variant seen in the UK. It was first identified in South Africa and people have been suffering from milder symptoms.

At the moment, estimates show that there are now more than 10,000 more transmissible cases.

The Omicron Variant And Care Homes In The UK

So how does the Omicron variant have an impact on care homes? Well, with new guidelines issued, there will be changes to visiting times, additional support for booster jabs and an extra £300m issued by the UK government. Here are some of the latest updates.

Visiting Times

In the UK there are new guidelines to follow. In England, care home residents are only allowed three visitors as well as only one essential caregiver to be present. Of course, this will create dilemmas for families, especially around Christmas time.

When it comes to the previous care home visitor guidance, no restrictions were placed on the number of visitors, however, before turning up, arrangements must be made as well as receiving a negative lateral flow test on the day.

Increased Booster Rates

Also, there has been the deployment of vaccination teams to provide booster jabs to residents and staff. This is to offer the guarantee that all housebound people, their caregivers, care home residents and staff, are offered a booster jab.

According to the DHSC, more than 70% of older adult care home residents have already received their booster jab. There is also a focus on care home staff and visitors to get the jab to protect those who are most vulnerable.

£300m Extra In Support

In addition, an extra £300m have been used to help recruit and retain care workers.

This extra £300m can be used on bringing forward planned pay rises for care staff, paying bonuses, funding overtime as well as increasing workforce numbers until the end of March.

Weekly Care Home Testing

Each week, staff will be required to take three lateral flow tests, as well as a weekly PCR test.

The new variant spreads faster than others. According to estimates, infections have been doubling every two to three days, with 10,000 cases having increased transmissibility. Experts have stated that the UK may see one million Omicron cases by the end of the year.

There have been calls for the nation to get their booster jab to help protect each other. In the UK, 22 million people have received their COVID-19 booster vaccine or third dose.

In the last couple of days, the Covid booster booking site crashed, with queues forming outside walk-in sites. More than 100,000 people have tried to book an appointment.

Before visiting family and friends outside of the care home, any residents that are fully vaccinated will be requested to take a lateral flow test on alternate days for two weeks after each outing.

Any residents that are not vaccinated will be required to isolate after outside visits.

Covid-19 in the UK

As of 14th of December 2021.

Daily Cases	59,610
Daily Deaths	150
Total Deaths	146,627
Vaccinations 1st Dose	76.5%
Vaccinations 2nd Dose	69.8%
Vaccinations 3rd Dose	35.9%

What Can Care Homes Do In Preparation?

The UK government have highlighted to need for a continued effort in minimising the risk of transmission of COVID-19. With so much still to learn about the new Omicron variant, we need to take precautions.

Infection Prevention And Control (IPC)

To safeguard against COVID-19, IPC measures must be implemented correctly. There is the greater importance of not allowing the virus an opportunity to spread, leading to further outbreaks, especially during winter time when we are at higher risk.

All health and social care staff must remain compliant with IPC measures. Some of the methods that need to be followed are:
At all times, all staff are required to wear fluid-resistant surgical masks (FRSM) correctly over the mouth and nose, unless in circumstances stated in the guidance linked.
Hygiene practices must be followed, such as using hand sanitiser when removing face masks, touch contact with individuals, touching surfaced as well as hand washing with liquid soap.
As frequently as possible, rooms should be ventilated when temperature and weather conditions allow. In poor conditions, consider other mitigations to reduce the risk of spread.
Keep a physical distance from others, such as those you are supporting and caring for unless you are providing direct care.
Whenever possible, avoid car sharing.
Leaders and managers are required to ensure IPC measures are complied with through robust risk assessment and governance.

COVID Vaccinations And Boosters

It is important for those who are eligible to take up the offer of the booster jab. Care homes are encouraged to support their staff to take up the booster. With such an importance on the booster uptake, there have been some issues with vaccination bookings and appointments.

To find out which drop-in appointments are available, you can check most NHS boards from this week onwards. Also, it is recommended to follow your local NHS board Facebook and social media pages for up to date details on where the drop-in clinics are.

For more information on how to book your appointment, such as contact details for the vaccine helpline, you can check out NHS Inform.

Testing

Fully vaccinated people can still catch COVID-19, as well as spread the infection, so it is vital to continue testing. There has been an uptake in PCR testing for care home staff as with the new variant, early identification of cases is crucial.

Weekly, care home staff will be required to take three lateral flow tests, as well as a weekly PCR test. Due to the latest evidence showing, Omicron has a higher rate of transmission than other variants, there is a concern for vulnerable people living in care homes.

Communal living settings add to the risk of infection, so all care home staff should undertake daily (working days) LFD testing on top of the weekly PCR test.

On non-working days, it is recommended that staff should think about testing when socialising, with other social care staff to undertake daily LFD testing. Try to use existing stocks of LFDs first, with arrangements in place to supply additional test stocks to care homes.

Meanwhile, tests can be collected at your local pharmacy or test centre. Care home staff should also log their LFD test results on the COVID Testing Portal to provide data for monitoring the impact on our workforce.

Self-Isolation Periods For Social Care Staff

Regardless of vaccination status, all household contacts of any confirmed coronavirus (COVID 19) cases must isolate for 10 days. This is even when there is an initial negative PCR test.

There is an emphasis for social and healthcare staff to stay safe. There are exemptions of self-isolation for staff who are household or passing contacts of COVID-19 positive cases. These are those who are:

Double vaccinated.
Asymptomatic and remain asymptomatic.
Returning a negative PCR test before returning to work.
Undertaking daily LFD testing for the remainder of the 10 day period.

If the conditions above are met, staff are expected to return to work. Staff that have been informed by test and protect to be a close contact of omicron, will have to self-isolate.

Visiting During The Festive Period

With a focus on mental health and wellbeing, contact and socialising with family and friends remains an important part of life. However, to protect ourselves, care homes are asked to use protective measures to ensure residents are supported during this time.

During the festive period, it is important that friends and family can have the opportunity to celebrate. To do so in a safe way, consider the following solutions:

Testing for Covid-19
Use the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)
Use face coverings when appropriate)
Ensure hand hygiene
Allow for increased ventilation
Follow IPC measures

This is all to increase the effectiveness of minimising the risk of Covid transmission. Presents and gifts do not need to be wiped down and decorations can be hung.

However, please be aware that there are exemptions. This includes situations of outbreaks where residents are in isolation. In which case, there will be limitations on visiting times and frequency in accordance with Public Health Scotland adult care home guidance.