Coronavirus (Covid-19)

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Last updated: 5th of June 2020

May has been a busy month and the staff at Horsfall House have as ever been managing superbly keeping themselves, residents and home care clients safe. Thank you to all.

Considerable time has been spent on getting some testing done and this has not been an easy process. The first thing to say is that we successfully completed 95 Covid-19 tests on staff and residents, all of which proved to be negative - excellent news. Margaret Greaves, Nicola Priest and Cathy Jobling made superb arrangements getting these undertaken in the Dr. Booth Day Centre and proved that the test could be done efficiently with a 72 hour turn around, not the same day that we were promised at the time but so be it. We were just the third Home in Gloucestershire to have tests done on this scale and thank you to Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown our local MP who, after some badgering, did an excellent job on our behalf. 

Having said that, the incompetence of the Department of Health and Social Care Covid-19 system team defies belief. We had 35 tests undertaken right at the start of the programme and despite all best efforts made to establish the results we are met with absolute silence. The tests themselves have become irrelevant and we are fortunate that no resident has proved subsequently to have Covid-19, but it does not augur well as more promises are made by the government.

The issue of testing is pertinent to our next steps. At Horsfall House we now have 7 vacant beds; this includes two we would normally reserve for respite care. All respite care is currently on hold until we have systems in place to protect other residents and staff. This latter point is and will remain our key focus.

Until such time as we can get repeat testing undertaken, with acceptable turnaround times from swab to result, until we can get the now promised but seemingly unavailable antibody testing done, we are unable to accept new residents into the Home. We have a number of people who are desperately in need of our care and the lack of delivery on promises made at government level is disgraceful. Margaret is maintaining contact with these people at least on a humanitarian level.

On a more positive note Margaret is currently putting in managed arrangements so that relatives outside are enabled to see and speak to their relative by prior arrangement through a glazed window or door. Just as soon as the Government Guidelines for Care Homes change we look forward to being able to extend such visits into the garden to visit their relatives. These new steps commenced on the 1st of June. That is really good news and a massive step forward. 

The support being received from the local community is as ever fantastic. The Doctors, the Police and Fire Brigade and of course our staff have been wonderful. At this point I would also like to pay tribute to the Funeral Directors who have sadly had to attend Horsfall House from time to time. We have had no Covid-19 related deaths but recognise that they are working in extremely difficult circumstances and are often unsung heroes.

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly

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Last updated: 3rd May 2020

I would like to thank all the Doctors who have been giving us such support but in particular those at the Surgery in Minchinhampton. Each and every one has been caring on hand and have mastered the technology to give close attention to the needs and well-being of all our residents. I am sure in passing on our thanks I am also doing so on behalf of the families of our residents.

PPE continues to a bit of a mission in its own right, but I am pleased to report that we continue to have sufficient stock and are working hard to maintain this. As of yet we are still getting our supplies from our regular providers who have been splendid. If stocks run low. i.e. 72 hours usage left, we have access to the central logistics distribution maintained through the County. There is a national Clipper programme utilising eBay which many may have heard of. This is not currently being used in Gloucestershire. We are very grateful to Cheryl Stapleton and her team ‘Nailsworth Scrubs’ for Heroes’. We are shortly to receive masks and gowns which this group has made locally in support of the NHS and Carer’s like ourselves. Please do visit their just giving page.

Horsfall House received its first testing kits at the end of last week, though we anticipated 39 we actually received 10. These have been used to test our most vulnerable residents and should have the results in the next day or so. The outstanding test kits are, we believe on their way and shortly thereafter we expect to be able to test staff. As noted in previous updates it is key that we are able to do this on a regular and sustained basis and will be essential if we are to accept new residents into the Home. Brockworth is now capable of handling 100 tests a day and new facilities and routes to testing are coming on-line daily.

I am also really pleased to report that our two staff members who were tested for Covid 19 having either shown some symptoms or one of their partners had – have had negative tests and will be returning to work. Very good news.

Inside Horsfall House in many ways we are trying to maintain a life as usual though this is of course difficult. We have had just had a water leak on the first floor and we are grateful to Hewer FM for the safe and professional way that they are dealing with this including full PPE. Keeping staff fully trained and ensuring we follow best practice at all time is ongoing and being led superbly by our training officer Christine Rice. 

Well done Duncan his 2.6 Challenge to save our charities. has now raised in excess of £2,900. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DuncanWood8 Thank you to all for your support.

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly

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Last updated: 23rd April 2020

This last period has seen frenetic activity in ensuring adequate supplies of PPE both for the residential home as well as our care teams out in the field. I am pleased to report that through the sheer hard work of our staff we have sufficient stock to see us through most situations until the end of next week. The process of getting PPE has been full of flux but it does seem that Gloucestershire County Council are finally getting to grips with the logistics. This situation could quickly change pending announcements on the use of face masks which is bound to have an impact. Whatever decision is reached it is essential that the people who have access to PPE are those who really need it and not those who just want it.

Whilst PPE, for the time being is in hand Testing is and remains critical, it is clear that Horsfall House will not be able to operate normally until we are able to test, regularly, repeatedly, and locally. We are keen to open our doors again to new residents, but I am sure all will understand that we must maintain our barriers against the Coronavirus.

Charities are at the forefront this week and thanks go to Duncan Wood and the Fund Raising Team for their continued work in supporting Horsfall House. Duncan is raising money as part of the 2.6 Challenge to save our charities. More details can be found at the bottom of the home page on our website or you could go straight to this link.

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DuncanWood8

Thank you to all for your support.

Yet again this week we have been blessed by kindness in the community and it is difficult to say thank you everyone on this page. I would though like to mention Paula from Forest Green Rovers who has delivered 5ltr. bottles of hand sanitiser as sadly they are furloughed and unable to use.

Jayne Hancock has produced a wonderful banner that is now greeting our staff as they arrive for work in the main entrance. The banner, I think sums up what everyone is thinking, and it can be said no better;  it reads.

‘HELLO EVERYONE. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. SENDING LOVE. THANK YOU.’

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly

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Last updated: 13th April 2020

As we start the 4th week of the official lock down it remains clear that for Horsfall House at least will continue for many weeks. All staff continue to work fantastically in a difficult environment. We are able to maintain our levels of PPE though this is becoming a daily struggle. Of great concern is the lack of any meaningful testing. Although asked for names of staff who we should seek to get tested we are at the same time advised that there are only 10 tests available to Care Homes in the whole County. We have a long way to go.

At Horsfall House we have benefitted from lovely weather and much kindness. Gifts of Easter Eggs were kindly received from Morrisons in Nailsworth, thank you Lynn and all. These were distributed widely throughout the Home and to our deserving Home Care Staff. Minchinhampton Patients Participation Group also delivered eggs on Good Friday and thanks go to John and Ian for arranging. We have also been touched by the kindness of two young girls living in Windmill Road who left a pair of decorated rainbow themed wooden discs on the bench for us, now proudly fixed to our reception desk. This was in keeping with the week’s Rainbow Theme where residents have been painting the rainbow now outside the Homes entrance.

Flowers and other goodies have been sent to the home from relatives of residents both to their own families but also to staff. Brian from village shop, who does so much for the community has been busy delivering these. What a great facility the village shop is at this time of crisis.

In the home Gill and Joanna with their respective teams have been taking advantage of the weather ensuring that residents are wherever making full use of the gardens. Our own staff have taken over hairdressing duties and there are many new hairdos as we start the week, both residents and staff! Emma, Sara and Heidi, Rachel and Sharon were even offering manicures as well.

Other activities continued with the making of Easter Cards now posted to families. The General Unit was given a lovely poetry reading by one the residents and have also been reminiscing through card games. The Cotswold Unit have also been sending pictures and voice recordings to families and the use of Face Time is increasingly popular.

This last week though has been tinged with sadness. Two of our residents passed away, both through the natural end of life process and our condolences go out to their families.

The virtual religious services on Easter Sunday were streamed into residents’ rooms and the lounges and these were very welcome and well received.

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly

Last updated: 2nd April 2020

We are now well into the second week of the official ‘lock down’ though Horsfall House has been on a war footing for longer. Stamina is required as this crisis will last for some time yet. I pay credit to all our staff but particularly to our General Manager, Margaret Greaves, who has been tireless in marshalling our defences and caring for all.

The lack of Personal Protective Equipment has been highlighted in the press; we have not suffered any shortages and for the time being have sufficient stock. We are of course reliant on the supply chain and keeping on top of this is an ongoing issue – well done to the team for doing so. We have also heard of profiteering by some suppliers; again, this has not affected us and thank you for the integrity of our supplier DJB. An ongoing concern is the lack of antibody testing both for our staff, for residents and other service users. The government, with others, is working hard to provide this but I am concerned that the effort is directed, initially, only to the NHS when the need is much wider. We will continue to press through the Gloucestershire Care Providers Association and the commissioning bodies at Gloucestershire County Council.

In the last seven days up to the end of yesterday our Home Care Team have undertaken 1,002 visits, attending to 76 at risk service users in our community. We have 30 staff out in the field who continue to be fully committed. They are being supported by Diane Moreton and her administration team working largely from their homes but when necessary from Horsfall House where they are isolated from the main home.

In the home itself we have 42 residents currently being looked after by a team of 125 people including Registered Nurses, Care Assistants, Kitchen, Laundry, Cleaning and Maintenance and not forgetting our Administration staff. Our Day Centre Drivers have continued to provide support to Adrian in redecorating the Day Centre, which has now been closed for two weeks. This facility has been prepared as an emergency staff dormitory. Emma Haste, Day Centre Manager and her team of seven redeployed care staff are all supporting every aspect of the main home and Home Care. Emma is also keeping in regular contact with our Day Centre Clients.

The weather has been kind to us, though cold, in the last week but whenever possible residents are being taken into the wonderful garden at Horsfall House and activities are being maintained by our staff. Sadly, external support for this has not been possible as we are minimising all contact with the outside world as we work maintain our Covid barriers.

Our website has been work in progress for a while and this continues. The site is up and running thanks to Dee Wiggett’s hard work and will continually be improved in the coming weeks. We are a charity and the Coronavirus has meant that all fund raising activity has ceased. There is a giving page on the web site and any contribution to support would be very welcome. On that front a huge thank you to the local community who have kindly been donating chocolate eggs and other goodies.

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly

Last updated: 27 March 2020

Our priority at Horsfall House since the outset of Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak has been the safeguarding of all our staff along with that of our residents, including their families. We have been particularly conscious of the large number of clients who attend the Dr Booth Day Centre and to our Home Care clients. Everybody’s welfare is important at this difficult time.

At all times we have been strictly following government guidance and that of Public Health and have taken the following protective steps:

· All visits to our residents in the Care Home have been stopped.

· Respite service in each of our nursing units has been halted for twelve weeks.

· The Day Centre is for the time closed until further notice.

· All suppliers are delivering at set times and thy do not enter the building.

· Home Care services to the local community continue though we are necessarily adjusting

  client call times.

· Home Care On-call help continues to be available.

· Where possible our administration teams are working from home and apply strict social

  distancing practices if they have to come to Horsfall House.

Family contact with our residents is important and we appreciate the support and understanding that has been given to us by all families. Implementing these measures has been essential to protect our most vulnerable residents. We encourage families and friends to keep in touch through the use of technology and by writing.

There are sadly times where due to personal circumstance families will wish to visit loved ones. Where this involves end of life care we will work with the family to manage visits whilst ensuring that we minimise the risk of spreading the virus.

If you have any further questions, please contact us on 01453 731227

Christopher Fisher

Chair of the Management Board

Minchinhampton Centre For the Elderly