A care home group, which has two homes in Bournemouth, has enabled almost 300 residents to be cared for by their family members through an enhanced visiting scheme.

Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare care homes identified residents who were deteriorating and invited relatives to become part of their care plan, developing a “Safe Visits” protocol to enable meaningful contact.

Selected visitors are tested weekly, trained in using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and agree to a contract setting out what the care home expects of them, such as not exposing themselves to situations where they are at an increased risk of catching Covid-19.

They help care for residents most in need of extra support, such as those showing signs of significant cognitive decline, weight loss, decreased mobility or distressed behaviour and mood disturbance.

The scheme, running across its 46 homes, allows family members to be close to their loved ones – brushing their hair, holding their hands and helping them with daily activities.

Sunrise Senior Living UK has homes in Westbourne and Southbourne. 

The majority of the visits involve touch of some kind and only take place in homes which are Covid-free.

The group currently has 198 enhanced visiting plans in place, and more than 300 relatives have now visited their loved ones in a safe, controlled and managed way over the past two and a half months.

It comes as a Government pilot started this week in 30 care homes across Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon where relatives will be regularly tested.

But it has been criticised as not good or quick enough, coming too late for people who have been cut off from their loved ones for more than eight months.

The Government’s recent care home visiting guidance, which permits visits under certain stringent circumstances, such as in rooms divided by floor to ceiling screens, has also been criticised.

Charities said it completely misses the point and families will be in despair, with screens hindering communication and outdoor visits over winter not being practical or appropriate, particularly with people with conditions such as dementia.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hopes to have testing for care home visitors in place for all care homes in England “by Christmas”.

As well as the obvious comfort Sunrise and Gracewell’s scheme has brought to families, it has seen tangible clinical results – the daily fluid intake of one elderly resident doubled after his wife was permitted meaningful visits.

Anna Selby, who heads up Sunrise and Gracewell’s Covid-19 taskforce, said the Government’s approach has been “completely risk averse” and that, while recent guidance has brought some national clarity, there is much more to be done to combat the loneliness of vulnerable residents.

She said they have been effectively running a version of the scheme the Government has just started piloting, adding: “We’re being really careful, we are making sure it is used to address recognised need and vulnerability. And so far we haven’t seen any risk to our communities or any risk of infection as a result.”

The programme’s success shows it is possible to protect the mental health of residents while minimising the risk of Covid-19 entering care homes, she added.