'Huge step in the right direction': Nursing home residents allowed two visits per week from today
New guidance on nursing home visits has taken effect.
Your contributions will help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you
New guidance on nursing home visits has taken effect.
There will be no requirement to limit these visits to under an hour.
As of Saturday evening, there were 523,069 vaccine doses administered across the country.
The drive to administer first and second doses of vaccines across the North’s care homes has been completed.
A total of 4,300 positive coronavirus cases were recorded in nursing homes during January, the Oireachtas Health Committee heard.
The HSE said a significant number of both patients and staff at the home “remain affected by Covid-19″.
‘They didn’t come in Covid positive, they picked up Covid while in the hospital,’ said Leo Varadkar.
Michael Delaney was hospitalised with Covid-19 for seven weeks last year.
The allegations are contained in documents released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act.
In an interview with TheJournal.ie, the HSE’s CEO said the pandemic highlighted a number of health policy shifts that are needed.
Residents can received one visit per week with efforts for an extra one at Christmas.
As part of new guidelines, visitors will be allowed at Levels 3 to 5 under compassionate grounds.
The HSE’s Dr Colm Henry said that “it’s clear now the impact this is having on a particularly vulnerable population”.
The rate of infection in nursing homes and among over-65s is a concern despite the overall decrease in new cases.
A social media post claims older people have been given a higher dose of the vaccine as part of a “culling agenda”.
A report from May – just a week after an outbreak at the nursing home – highlighted some areas of non-compliance at the centre.
Dr Holohan said protective measures in the nursing homes will not be enough to keep the virus out if transmission in the community continues to increase.
The committee has been looking at how Ireland responded to the pandemic.
NPHET raised concerns over outbreaks in nursing homes last weekend.
Family members of residents at Brindley Manor Nursing Home in Convoy have been contacted and will be regularly updated.
Ten members of staff have tested positive for the virus.
The government is expected to reject NPHET’s advice and move the rest of the country to Level 3.
Concerns had been raised that nursing homes in Dublin were suspending window visits.
Experts advised against “crude recommendations” stating that detailed data is not being collected.
An expert warned that the huge issue will have implications for the grieving process.
Just one nominated visitor per resident is allowed from today in Dublin nursing homes.
Rates of healthcare worker vaccine uptake, particularly in nursing homes, remain low.
More than half of daily Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Dublin.
Hiqa was criticised for its “very late” issuance of guidance to nursing homes at the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid Response today.
After bearing the brunt of the outbreak earlier this year, the nursing home sector is worried at the resurgence of the virus.
NPHET discussed the issue of visitation in nursing homes and residential care facilities at its meeting today.
The report says that staff should not be employed across multiple nursing homes.
A new report has looked at the operation of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme.
The report was welcomed by Nursing Homes Ireland and the INMO.
One nursing home had left bedroom doors open for residents that had tested positive for Covid-19.
The scheme providing Covid-19 support payments was due to close on Tuesday but will now include July, August and September.
The Department of Health’s secretary general was speaking before an Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 earlier today.
Paul Reid will appear before the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 this morning.
It has been three months since residents have been able to see their loved ones in person.
The group Sage Advocacy said people are “counting down the minutes to see their loved ones again”.