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Boris Johnson recently announced the message we’ve all been waiting for. Restrictions are easing across the UK with bars and restaurants set to open from July 4th, and children expected to return to schools in September. Those who are shielding are also allowed to meet with others, outside, in groups of six.
But, with restrictions lifting are we more at risk of a second wave? You can read more about the likelihood of a second wave and what a second wave actually means here, in an article from the BBC.
If a second wave is on the cards, now is the time to make sure your home care agency is prepared. Rather than relaxing, it’s never been more important to step up your protocols, monitoring, guidance and infection control strategies. We’ll talk about a few ways to do this in this post, so you can be ready for whatever’s next.
Routine CQC inspections have been on hold since 16 March, with full attention been given to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. But, with restrictions easing, inspectors are scheduling checks on 'higher-risk' services over the summer, and a 'managed return' to inspection of lower-risk services is planned over the autumn.
This means that you’ll need to get your business inspection-ready, and it’s likely your inspector will want to see how you’ve responded, and still are responding to the crisis.
Whether you cared for a person with COVID-19 or not, now is the time to report on everything you learned.
Do an after-action report where you list out everything that went well and everything that didn’t so you don’t lose sight of everything that has been happen and you can make necessary changes to prepare for a winter surge.
If you don’t already use a digital system to monitor your care, now is the time to shop around and look for one that best suits your needs.
Paper care logs and records make it difficult for staff to stay safe, and give you less visibility over your care.
Recording your care digitally means your office staff can have access whenever, wherever - allowing for remote working. Plus, with everything stored online, it’s easy to access information when you need it - to share with healthcare bodies and local authorities.
One of our partner agencies, Integral Care, told us:
“Birdie has been a timely investment for our business in light of the current crisis. I can imagine how much of a risk we would have put our staff at, handling paper and folders in a bid to record care notes. I am horrified at the thought of collecting those papers and bringing them to the office for auditing and filing. I probably would have been busy sanitising the papers, if I could find any sanitisers, that is.”
At the beginning of the crisis, many home care providers we spoke to felt unprepared - and on top of an already stressful time found themselves having to create policies and procedures to deal with the crisis. If that was you, learn lessons from the past and update and create any policies that are outstanding now.
Recruitment and staffing was the main concern for almost all of our partner agencies during COVID-19. We spoke to Beverly Simms-Manley from Medacs Healthcare when the crisis hit, and she shared with us her emergency staffing plan. It included
“Staffing needs to be part of your pandemic plan, and your pandemic plan should be an ongoing living document that you continue to keep updated so that you aren’t caught off-guard when a pandemic actually hits,” Hofmann, ANAAC.
PPE is a huge concern for care industries, and whilst there have been significant efforts to increase the amount available, now is a good time to monitor and report on your levels and useage. Consider:
If you’re not sure how much stock you get through, use the CDC PPE Burn Rate tool, here.
Now is not the time to get complacent with hand hygiene and PPE practice. The threat levels may indeed be lowering, but if you loosen up on behaviours now, when a second wave hits your staff will have to re-learn the practices they put in place at the peak of the crisis.
Consider bringing your staff into the office on a regular basis to train them and re-instill best practices.
You should also share these best practices with your clients so they are geared up to help reduce risk and protect themselves.
The effect of COVID-19 has been difficult for everyone, but your staff who are out there on the frontline everyday have had an exceptional challenge on their shoulders. Just because things look to be getting easier, your staff still need your support.
Trudie Fell, form BelleVie Care told us at the height of the pandemic:
“On Slack, we also have a channel called ‘check-in’, where people can talk about how they’re feeling and get some support and empathy from their colleagues and that’s proved really valuable.”
If you’ve implemented similar channels, be sure not to let them drop now.
Ask questions daily, check in with your staff and put in place channels that allow them to reach out.
If you need help with going digital, you can reach out to our team who would be happy to talk you through the options.
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