Care Home Staff Should Stay in Quarantine Hotels

In order to protect care and nursing home residents, the government should mandate that ALL people who step foot into a care home must have had 14 days quarantine and proven daily testing (with negative result).

In order to practically achieve this, care home staff would be required to stay at quarantined hotel facilities for at least 2 weeks prior to going on shift, and for at least 2 weeks at another 'working' hotel whilst on daily shift. Such hotels would be commandeered for use by the NHS. There would be daily testing of staff and enforced high quality hygiene and social distancing enforced.

The operation would be as if they were offshore oil rig workers away for month. Arrangements would be made for childcare by the government, and care home workers would be paid an 'offshore' additional stipend of an appropriate (i..e generous) amount. There would be a huge recruitment drive to increase the number of care home staff if necessary.

During their time 'offshore' (i.e. on-shift) they would not be permitted to visit their homes, or any public places. Testing of each staff member would be daily.

The working shift pattern for each worker could be arranged as follows;

Week 1 - Arrival at quarantine hotel, commence 14 day quarantine period with daily testing.
Week 2 - Stay at quarantine hotel. Continued daily testing.
Week 3 - Move to a second 'working hotel' and start daily shifts in the care home per normal duties.
Week 4 - Continue with second working week at 'working hotel', daily shifts per normal duties.
Week 5 - Home with family (OFF)
Week 6 - Home with family (OFF)

Repeat as per week 1.




Why the contribution is important

1) It will stop care home staff inadvertently transmitting the disease to people under their care.
2) It may save thousands of lives.

thankyou,

by DSEDIN on May 10, 2020 at 05:03PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.4
Based on: 7 votes

Comments

  • Posted by lggl May 10, 2020 at 17:38

    absolutely agree. The problem is in care homes and hospitals it appears - so designate hospitals for covid patients to be separated and operate something like this for care homes. Instead of paying furloughed workers , let them get back to work and instead use the money to handsomely reward the care workers for working in such a system as above. Get to grip with the spread to and from care homes and the problem will be massively reduced, and prevent more care homes having severe outbreaks. Solutions now need to be targetted to where the problems are.
  • Posted by SAR May 10, 2020 at 19:27

    Who will care for their families? I know many care home staff who are single parents. Do their families move into these hotels with them? Or are their children put into foster care?
  • Posted by Kylesku May 10, 2020 at 20:48

    The lack of focus on Care Homes, their residents & staff has been truely appauling.

    If we had focused our efforts on protecting them properl;y many more people would be alive today.

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