Infection Prevention and Control should be an enabler, not a barrier to safe, compassionate human interaction

This website makes resources freely available and accessible for anyone undertaking or supporting safe and compassionate human interaction in care homes. The resources have been developed by infection prevention and control (IPC) experts and supported by Care Home Relatives Scotland.

Resources

These resources are for carers, family members, relatives, friends and those who work in care homes. The contents will also be useful to leaders at all levels.

How infection prevention and control measures can enable safe and compassionate care home interactions; visual scenarios bringing this to life

An information leaflet designed to further reassure and support anyone who is planning to spend time with a care home resident

Messages and graphics to support you to advocate for safe and compassionate care home interactions with IPC as an enabler

The Issue

Lack of meaningful interaction between loved ones has had an untold effect on both residents and relatives/close friends of those in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been detrimental to overall well-being and mental health. Despite guidance recommending interaction between loved ones, many homes continued to forbid or severely restrict access and to facilitate only window viewings or socially distanced outdoor interaction. Many measures have been quoted as the solution however, even when vaccines and testing to manage the COVID-19 situation are in place, infection prevention and control when applied properly, will always play a major role in ensuring safe interactions at any time – this needs to happen in all care homes.

Supported by the information on this website, we call on individuals and leaders of different groups and organisations to promote infection prevention and control as the enabler of safe and compassionate interactions between residents of care homes and relatives/friends.