COVID-19 Help & Advice

COVID-SECURE HEALTH CARE SERVICE IN CANTERBURY

4Life Healthcare are open and operating as normal during the Coronavirus epidemic. We are accepting new clients and able to support all adults requiring assistance at home in a COVID-secure manner.

4LIFE HEALTHCARE'S
COVID-19 STATEMENT

4Life Healthcare are committed to the protection of our workforce and clients and are taking the situation very seriously, with the strictest of procedures and safety measures in place, both at our head office and within our client's home settings.

We regularly monitor developments as they happen, reviewing and modifying our procedures in line with UK Government COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure that our clients are safe and protected at all times.

All health care staff are tested daily, before they report for work, for Coronavirus, and are fully trained in infection prevention control and hygiene, with regular refresher training as necessary. Our PPE supplies are replenished routinely, and our staff will always wear the correct and full PPE whenever visiting your home.

4Life Healthcare continue to work closely with local authorities, independent regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission, and healthcare practices as necessary, to protect our colleagues and clients in delivering a safe service to the local community.

Female healthcare workers, displaying a workplace first aid guide, and a CPR manikin

FREE COVID-SECURE HOME ASSESSMENT

Book now

COVID-19 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR HOMECARE

As a service provider of health care at home, we have included our most frequently asked Coronavirus questions, including the ways in which we have adapted our procedures to meet COVID-19 Government guidelines. Be assured that we are implementing and updating new procedures accordingly, to ensure the health and safety of all our staff and clients.

1. DO YOU PROVIDE PPE FOR STAFF?

All staff are provided full and correct PPE (including masks, eyewear, aprons and gloves etc) whenever visiting a client’s home or clinical setting, and always follow UK government guidance in how to work safely in delivering care to adults at home

Our staff are fully trained in COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control, as part of our comprehensive set of adult health care training modules. We always adhere to the government guidance, with regular refresher training and safe monitoring to ensure all staff maintain the correct procedures.

2. HAVE YOUR STAFF BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST CORONAVIRUS?

All 4Life Healthcare staff have been offered the approved COVID-19 vaccine, with many having received their full dose of the vaccine.

3. HOW IS 4LIFE HEALTHCARE PROTECTING HEALTH CARE STAFF FROM CATCHING CORONAVIRUS?

We understand that many or our clients, both new and existing, may have concerns or worries about the possibility of catching coronavirus from our staff. All staff are tested on a daily basis for COVID-19, prior to their days work, and any staff showing symptoms will be removed from the rota to stop the risk of infection. However, we are taking extra precautions with the strictest of measures in place to ensure that this is avoided.

All staff are fully trained in Infection Prevention and Control, with any new recruits undergoing this training immediately on enrolment to 4Life Healthcare. We also educate and thoroughly train our staff on the government guidance for the delivery of homecare to adults in our community.

We follow current government guidelines, doing all we can to minimise staff movement and visits to the office, and reducing the contact between healthcare workers, wherever possible.

4. HOW IS 4LIFE HEALTHCARE PROTECTING MYSELF AND MY LOVED ONE FROM CATCHING CORONAVIRUS?

One of the ways in which we help reduce the risk of exposure of COVID-19 to clients, is by dividing our workforce into ‘care groups’. This means that we have a group of carers focused solely on caring for clients in the event that they have contracted Coronavirus, and during this time, will not visit any other client.

The second care group will be carers that are focused on supporting the clinically extremely vulnerable, the clinically vulnerable, and everyone else. If it should become necessary, we would then look to divide that group once more to separate the clinically extremely vulnerable, from the clinically vulnerable and everyone else.

Whilst we always undertake the strictest of measures to ensure our carers avoid becoming infected with Coronavirus, in the unlikely event that this should happen, clients and families can be confident that the correct procedures will be followed in accordance with NHS and government advice, and that any client's home care service that this may affect, can expect to receive a replacement carer immediately.

5. IS 4LIFE HEALTHCARE ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC? AND IF SO, HOW IS THIS BEING MANAGED SAFELY?

We can confirm we are accepting new clients during the pandemic. When doing so, we carry out a thorough COVID-19 risk assessment of each client’s property and setting, before proceeding with our home care service, in the same way we do for our existing clients. We continue to carry out regular COVID-19 risk assessments throughout our provision of care to each client.

We work very closely with our clients, their families, and any other agencies who may be involved in their health and wellbeing. In the event of a positive COVID test result, we devise a plan to reduce the number of people going to and from a client’s home.

This includes:

Recording any healthcare professionals/practices that require contact with the client during their care, and if these needs can either be met by a single person, or reduced in such a way that does not pose a risk to the client’s health.
Recording any people who have regular, direct contact with the client, such as their family, and advising for visits to be kept to a minimum wherever possible. We also ask pertinent questions such as: "who is in the client's support bubble?" And, "who does that support bubble have daily contact with (e.g. spouse, children) etc?"

6. WHAT HAPPENS IF A CLIENT CONTRACTS OR FALLS ILL WITH CORONAVIRUS?

If a client should contract or fall ill with Coronavirus, we appreciate that this may be a worrying and distressing time for both the client and their family, however all our staff are adequately trained to deal with these situations and follow strict protocols to keep all parties safe.

In all circumstances, it is our job to not only protect the welfare of our clients, but to respect their wishes and views on how they wish to be treated, should they fall ill with Coronavirus.

We will always give the correct and up-to-date advice in line with government guidance. If your loved one does not require hospital treatment and are not clinically vulnerable, or extremely vulnerable, we will work with families to maintain their level of care as far, and as safely as possible, with each case being assessed according to the individual client.

In all cases where a client becomes ill from Coronavirus, we consider any other vulnerable adults living within the same household, or in cases whereby the client may be living with someone who is pregnant, so we can advise them according to current government guidelines.

If it is not within the clients wishes to go into hospital, we will encourage them to isolate completely and remain at home at all times for the duration of the illness, with limited contact to family members, whilst continuing to receive the essential care they need by us, in a COVID-secure manner.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION ON PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

COVID-19 HYGIENE BEST PRACTICES

It is recommended to regularly wash your hands for 20 seconds whilst in the workplace, and after returning home from being outside.
If you should cough or sneeze, do so into a tissue, bin it, then wash your hands again for the recommended time of 20 seconds
Cover your face or wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces
Keep a bottle of hand sanitiser on you at all times in instances where you have to leave the house and do not have access to soap and water
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with hands until they are washed thoroughly for 20 seconds when you have been in close proximity with people, or potentially contaminated areas.

Diagram, illustrating how to wash your hands in line with Coronavirus government guidance

This short video demonstrates an effective way to wash your hands properly to protect yourself from Coronavirus:

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands

For more information on how you can stop the spread of COVID-19 visit:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS

a high temperature
a new, or continuous cough; or
a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste

If you begin to display and one of these symptoms you must book a test which you can do so here:
www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

IMPORTANT: You should not visit you GP or local doctor’s surgery under any circumstances during this time.

For further information and Government advice, please visit:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

If you should have any other questions surrounding our COVID-secure home care services, or the measures we are taking to look after loved ones at home, please do not hesitate to contact us, and a member of our team will be happy to address any concerns you may have.