How nursing home makes visits safe and homely for residents

Waltham Hall put in the adaptation during the coronavirus pandemic so meetings can still be comfortable and relaxing for elderly people who otherwise would have to rely on phone calls or conversations through windows.

Sharon Whitfield, activities co-ordinator at the home, said: “There is an intercom system so that residents and their visitors can just talk normally to each other, without pressing any buttons or having to shout.

“Each side is thoroughly cleaned between all visits.

“We have tried to make the visiting room as homely as we can, but still safe and hygienic.

“The safety of our residents, whilst maintaining their physical and mental health is so important to us.”

Staff at Waltham Hall have been actively encouraging and enabling video and phone calls for residents to loved ones throughout this difficult year and the special dividing wall now gives them a more personal option.

The senior citizens who live at Waltham Hall have been boosted by recent news that a vaccine could soon be given to them so they can eventually resume a closer relationship with family members and friends.

Sharon said: “Our residents are hopeful that the vaccine will mean their whole lives will become more normal.

“It will be wonderful when the time comes that visitors can just pop in to spend some time here instead of having to book a slot.

“We also haven’t had any outside entertainment since March.

“Our hairdresser was able to return for a few weeks in the summer and worked outside.”

She added: “Like everyone else, we look forward to a time when normal visits can begin again.

“Our staff have worked incredibly hard through the whole pandemic.

“One of our residents said today, ‘they’re not staff, they are my family’.

“We are very proud of all our staff, residents, families and friends, who have had so much to deal with this year.”

Waltham Hall had 52 residents at the time of its last CQC standards report, which rated its service as ‘good’.