A BOURNEMOUTH care home has come up with a solution to restricting the number of visitors to its home, by uploading picture with messages from their clients to their loved ones on social media.

Great Oaks Care Home in Kinson, run by Encore care homes, started their ‘messages homes’ initiative to help residents who have not been able to see family members and friends since government guidelines limited the amount of care home guests.

Some of the residents have daily visits from loved ones and, with the visiting restrictions currently in place, many struggle without the physical contact between close friends and family and are left not knowing how long it will be until they will be able to visit again.

Rachel Dryden, Chief Executive of Encore care homes, said: “As a care provider, our first priority is always to keep our residents, staff and community safe.

“While following health advice from Public Health England (PHE) and the NHS, we have also been working hard with our own wellbeing response to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.

The care home have decided to use their social media account to help reassure friends family and the wider public that their residents are all safe and well.

Started last week by Senior Care Assistant at Great Oaks Care Home Machala Allen and Health Care Assistant at Great Oaks Care Home Jo Parkes, the pictures, uploaded to the care home’s Facebook page, have been very popular with friends and family as well as other members of the community.

Machala said: "Some of the residents’ loved ones visit daily and with the visiting restrictions currently in place it has been extremely difficult for families and friends not to have that physical contact, especially not knowing how long this until they will be able to visit again.

"We wanted to create as much reassurance as we could and thought that the ‘messages home’ idea might be a good way to reach out to the loved ones of our residents. We’re really pleased how well it’s been received!"