COVID-19 – Update from Steve Hulbert (Managing Director)



5th November 2020



Just Ask will continue to provide essential home care, home help and cleaning services to people in their own home as permitted by the government's advice which states that ‘Where it is necessary for you to work in other people’s homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so '.


Our services during the latest restrictions include:

 

  • Home care support ✔
  • Meal preparation ✔
  • Ironing ✔  
  • Laundry ✔
  • Shopping - accompanying you to the shop or supermarket ✔
  • Shopping - we will do your shopping for you ✔
  • Accompanying you to GP and/or hospital appointments  ✔

 


To ensure the safest possible experience for both our service users and our staff, every Just Ask support worker will wear new masks (type IIR), disposable aprons and disposable gloves on every visit .  


Interestingly, the government's recommendations states that 'you can wear the same mask between different homecare visits (or visiting different people living in an extra care scheme) ' . However, we will to continue our policy of a new mask on every visit in order to maximise safety and minimise any risks.




COVID-19 – Update from Steve Hulbert (Managing Director)


4th November 2020


You will be aware that the government has introduced a second national lockdown to tackle the increased spread of Covid-19. The following is an extract from the official government website 

COVID-19 case numbers are rising rapidly across the whole of the UK and in other countries. We must act now to control the spread of the virus. The single most important action we can all take to fight coronavirus is to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we reduce the spread of the infection. That is why, from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December, you must:

  1. Stay at home, except for specific purposes.
  2. Avoid meeting people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
  3. Close certain businesses and venues.

These new measures will reduce the growth rate of the virus, which will:
  • prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed
  • ensure schools, colleges and universities can stay open
  • ensure that as many people as possible can continue to work


COVID-19 – Update from Steve Hulbert (Managing Director)


14th August 2020


You will be aware that the government has relaxed measures regarding social contact. Whilst the relaxation of measures is positive and will help reduce social isolation for the elderly, care should still be taken and precautions, such as the wearing of a face covering or mask is advisable to protect the vulnerable from the Covid virus.

Another significant risk of transference of the virus is from touching contaminated surfaces and we have minimised this risk. However, anyone else who visits our service user’s home risks introducing the virus into the home and this could be transferred to the elderly person by them simply touching any surfaces that the visitor has touched. Please adhere to the government's advice on effective hand washing on every visit.


The government's advice is as follows:

Can I visit people indoors?
Yes, you are able to meet indoors in groups of up to two households (anyone in your support bubble counts as one household). This includes inviting people from one household into your home or visiting the home of someone else with members of your own household. You should continue to maintain social distancing with anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble when doing so.

If you are in a support bubble you can continue to see each other without needing to maintain social distancing.

The more people you have interactions with, the more chance the virus has to spread. Therefore, try to limit the number of people you see – especially over short periods of time. The risk of transmission is also higher indoors, so you should take extra care to stay as safe as possible.

 
Finally, can I ask that: 
You consider whether visiting your elderly relative is essential 
If you must visit your relative, then you consider the benefits of wearing disposable gloves, aprons and masks for their protection 
You don’t visit at the same time as any members of our staff

 

Just Ask always wants to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and our service users, but now more than ever in these difficult times. From the 16th March I introduced mandatory measures ensuring that all our staff wear protective masks, gloves and aprons at all times on every visit. I introduced these measures to offer the highest levels of protection whilst minimising the risk of viral transference between our staff and our service users. 
  
 
 
Thank you for your continued support and understanding 
 


COVID-19 – Update from Steve Hulbert (Managing Director)


29th March 2020


You will be aware that the government has introduced stringent measures on the how to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, all of which are having a significant impact on our daily lives.  


Coronavirus (Covid-19): What you need to do 
  • Stay at home 
    • Only go out for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home) 
    • If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all time 
    • Wash your hands as soon as you get home 
  • Do not meet others, even friends or family 
  • You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms 
  

Today, (29th March 2020) the government issued a fact sheet on their website with what we can and can’t do in the battle to halt the spread of Covid-19. 

The following link will take you directly to this advice in the government website:

The following guidance from the above fact sheet has been given on visiting elderly relatives: 

8. Can I visit elderly relatives? 
    • No, you should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home. 
    • You should keep in touch with them using phone or video calls. 
    • Where your relatives are elderly or vulnerable, you may leave your house to help them, for example by dropping shopping or medication at their door. You can also help them to order online. 
  
Just Ask always wants to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and our service users, but now more than ever in these difficult times.  
  
From the 16th March I introduced mandatory measures ensuring that all our staff wear protective masks, gloves and aprons at all times on every visit. These measures are still more than the government’s requirements at the moment. I introduced these measures to offer the highest levels of protection whilst minimising the risk of viral transference between our staff and our service users. 
  
The government has asked that we all refrain from visiting elderly relatives (see above) and obviously we have no control over the people that visit our service users. However, unless visitors adopt the same protective measures that we have introduced, all the safeguarding procedures that we have in place will be of no benefit to our service users.  
  
One of the greatest risks of transference of the virus is from touching contaminated surfaces and we have minimised this risk. However, anyone else who visits our service user’s home risks introducing the virus into the home and this could be transferred to the elderly person by them simply touching any surfaces that the visitor has touched. 
 
Finally, can I ask that: 
    • You consider whether visiting your elderly relative is essential 
    • If you must visit your relative, then you consider the benefits of wearing disposable gloves, aprons and masks for their protection 
    • You don’t visit at the same time as any members of our staff 
    • Should any shopping be required, we can provide that service by prior arrangement 
 
 
Thank you for your continued support and understanding 
 



COVID-19 – Update from Steve Hulbert (Managing Director)


16th March 2020


I am writing to you as I know these are worrying times and that you will be seeking reassurances that Just Ask are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of you or family members who we provide our support services to.

Developments and precautionary measures are being updated by the government on a daily basis along with their recommendations to counter the spread of the Covid-19 virus. We review the latest recommendations daily and review our practices to reflect current requirements as well as the safety of our service users and staff.

I will update this page with any future developments that may affect our service users.


The current guidance for home care and home help services detailed on the government website www.gov.uk is as follows:

  • If neither the individual nor the care worker have symptoms of COVID-19
    • If neither the care worker nor the individual receiving care and support is symptomatic, then no personal protective equipment is required above and beyond normal good hygiene practices.
    • General interventions may include increased cleaning activity and keeping property properly ventilated by opening windows whenever safe and appropriate.
    • Care workers should follow advice on hand hygiene.

  • If the individual being cared for has symptoms of COVID-19
    • If the individual receiving care and support has symptoms of COVID-19, then the risk of transmission should be minimised through safe working procedures.
    • Care workers should use personal protective equipment (PPE) for activities that bring them into close personal contact, such as washing and bathing, personal hygiene and contact with bodily fluids.
    • Aprons, gloves and fluid repellent surgical masks should be used in these situations. If there is a risk of splashing, then eye protection will minimise risk.
    • New personal protective equipment must be used for each episode of care. It is essential that personal protective equipment is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.
    • These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in the usual household waste bin.

I am aware that many service users and/or their family members are anxious about the spread of the COVID-19 virus and so I have decided to extend our precautionary practices to include wearing barrier masks for all visits. 


Staff will apply the barrier mask when entering a service user’s property after their identity has been established. They will also apply hand sanitiser and a disposable apron on entering the property. 


Whilst the wearing barrier of masks isn’t officially required at the moment, except for those who have the virus, I feel that it will offer peace of mind to those who are anxious about the transmission of COVID-19. I also believe that they will offer an extremely effective  barrier for those of our service users who have chosen to self isolate but require our home help services.
 

I apologise if our provision of services at the moment is not a perfect experience, but I would ask that you be patient with staff as they try to do their very best during these unprecedented times.


We will continue to do our best to ensure that services aren’t affected, it may be necessary to cancel or postpone some of our home help and cleaning services in the event of staff shortages because of the virus related issues, for example school closures etc. It may also be necessary to change visit times, but these will be only implemented on a priority needs basis and we will notify affected services users to advise them if changes are necessary.