Care homes and villages
during coronavirus (COVID-19)
The safety of your loved one is our top priority. Here, you can get the most recent updates
on testing, vaccines and visiting our care homes.
Stay up to date with the latest news
The care and safety of our residents and staff is always our priority, and we continue to work hard to keep them safe. This hub has the latest information across our homes and villages to help relatives feel connected and informed about their loved ones. Please also follow your local Bupa care home or Richmond Village on Facebook to see the latest activities our residents are enjoying.
If you have any further questions, call our customer care team on 0345 6004 622^.
This page last updated: 20 September 2021
The latest on testing, vaccines and visiting
Over recent weeks the Government has relaxed restrictions in line with the roadmap. However, with high numbers of COVID cases still being reported across the UK, we continue to operate with caution. In line with latest Government guidance we are welcoming visitors to our care homes and villages, where it is safe to do so and with the necessary precautions to keep your loved one, you and our people safe.
This year we have worked closely with the NHS to ensure vaccines are administered across our homes and villages as quickly and seamlessly as possible and this will continue to be the case as attention turns to administering boosters in the coming weeks.
Home and Village Managers will continue to stay in touch with families to share local updates.
Visiting a care home
A resident can now have more named visitors who can visit them in their bedroom, this includes their essential care giver if they have one. Where the home is COVID-clear residents can meet with two of their named visitors at the same time or on any given day. Visitors must book their visit in advance of attending.
A care home is classed as COVID-clear if there has been no further positive tests following an outbreak for a minimum of 14 days, unless variants of concern have been identified through genomic sequencing. Where a care home has an outbreak of a variant strain it will be classed as COVID-clear once 28 days have passed without further positive tests.
Teenagers and children over the age of two may visit as one of the nominated visitors, while babies and children under the age of two may visit accompanied by a parent or guardian and will not be counted in visitor numbers.
Designated visiting rooms (also known as pods) are also available for visitors who would prefer not to take a test or for other family members who would like to visit their loved one, where there are no cases of COVID-19 in the home. These rooms are the most secure option for minimising any risk of infection, and we have made them into warm, cosy spaces for you to comfortably visit your loved one.
Outdoor visits from two people, who can be from separate households can be arranged too.
Residents are able to have an essential care giver, where their health and wellbeing could be improved by having a relative undertake this responsibility. Our Home and Village Managers are able to share more information about this.
Government guidance instructs that any home that has two or more positive cases of COVID-19 within a 14 day period is required to close to in room and designated visiting room/pod visits until the home has no further positive tests for a minimum of 14 days. In these instances, we will facilitate window visits, as well as regular phone and video calls to keep residents connected.
Testing and safety in our care homes
For reassurance, we continue to be fully enrolled in the Government’s regular testing programme for residents, staff and visitors. This currently involves multiple tests per week, to give us a clear picture of the COVID-status in our homes and villages and allows us to take swift action if there are any changes. We also continue to apply strict policies across our care homes and villages including increased cleaning, infection control and the appropriate use of PPE.
How we’re keeping our residents safe from COVID-19
We’re following strict infection control measures in all our homes
Frequent deep cleaning and testing are just some of the things we’re doing to prevent the spread of infection among our residents and staff.
We have all the necessary PPE to stay safe
All our homes have as much PPE as they need, and we don’t have any problems getting hold of it.
We’re helping residents to stay connected
We’re doing all we can to keep our residents in touch with their loved ones and the wider community. That means helping out with visits, telephone and video calls, letters, and Bupa Buddy.
Bupa Buddy
We’ve created Bupa Buddy, a service to make sure every elderly person has someone to chat to − about anything at all
This service is open to all elderly people, not just our care home residents. They don’t even have to be a Bupa customer.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, where required, residents will be taken to medical appointments by a member of staff or can be accompanied by a family member.
Residents attending hospital will be requested to wear full PPE but are no longer required to self-isolate on their return from a planned hospital appointment. We are also supporting residents to undertake remote appointments wherever possible.
No, unless the resident’s specific care needs mean they need to be cared for in bed, they are able to use the facilities around the home. We are taking additional measures to prevent the spread of infection in the home and encourage our residents to adhere to social distancing.
If a resident displays symptoms or are confirmed with the virus, they are cared for in their room, away from other residents, by our staff using the appropriate personal protective equipment.
Our staff and activity coordinators have programmes of activities that the residents can participate in. We are limiting the group size and offering more one-on-one activities with residents in line with social distancing measures.
If you do not have any symptoms of the virus, and the home or village is able to meet your needs, we may be able to assist you in finding a Bupa home or village (dependent on availability).
If you’re thinking about care, it can be difficult to know where to start. Our customer care team can guide you every step of the way, whether you have questions about care or need advice on funding. Please call us on 0345 600 4622^.
For more information on choosing a care home, please visit - https://www.bupa.co.uk/care-services/choosing-a-care-home
^ Lines are open 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 12.30pm Saturday. Closed Sundays and bank holidays. Calls are charged at no more than local rate and count towards any inclusive minutes from mobiles. We may record or monitor our calls.
The safety of our residents and people continues to be our priority. We have clear standard operating procedures and are maintaining strict infection control and social distancing measures in line with Public Health guidance to keeping residents safe. If a resident displays symptoms or is confirmed as having the virus, they are cared for in their rooms, away from other residents, by our staff using the appropriate personal protective equipment.
In line with the latest Government advice, two nominated people can now visit their family member in their bedroom, once a week, where the home is COVID-clear. Residents can meet with both of their two nominated visitors at the same time or separately if that is what they prefer.
Teenagers and children over the age of two may visit as one of the nominated visitors, while babies and children under the age of two may visit accompanied by a parent or guardian and will not be counted in visitor numbers.
All visitors (except for children under the age of 11) will be required to take a lateral flow test (LFT) and receive a negative result for the visit to go ahead.
Designated visiting rooms (also known as pods) are also available for visitors who would prefer not to take a test or for other family members who would like to visit their loved one, where there are no cases of COVID-19 in the home. These rooms are the most secure option for minimising any risk of infection, and we have made them into warm, cosy spaces for you to comfortably visit your loved one.
Government guidance instructs that any home that has two or more positive cases of COVID-19 within a 14 day period is required to close to pod visits until the home has no further positive tests for a full 28 day period. In these instances, we will facilitate closed window visits, as well as regular phone and video calls to keep residents connected.
We know the importance of time with loved ones and are doing everything we can to facilitate visits, while keeping residents and colleagues safe. We are facilitating visits in line with the latest Government guidance.
Where a care home is closed to in room/pod visits due to an outbreak, we will facilitate closed window visits, as well as regular phone and video calls to keep residents connected.
In exceptional circumstances such as end of life, our home and village managers will contact relatives to manage visits. Please be assured that all the necessary measures will be taken to minimise any spread of infection.
Yes, we are welcoming new residents into our homes and villages.
We have a new ‘meet and greet’ process for a new resident upon arrival, in line with Government and Public Health guidance. The new resident will receive a warm welcome by our staff on arrival to our home, wearing the necessary PPE, who will make them comfortable in their new home. Any isolation requirements for new admissions will be determined following a risk assessment carried out by the manager, and new residents joining us directly from hospital will also be tested prior to discharge.
Our staff and Activity Coordinators have varied programmes of activities that residents can enjoy. Our staff will continue to wear PPE at all times. We are limiting the size of group activities and offering more one-on-one options to meet the necessary social distancing measures.
Yes, we are taking part in the Government’s whole home testing programme, with all our homes and villages carrying out regular testing for residents and colleagues. This currently involves multiple tests per week using both PCR tests and Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs), to give us a clear understanding of the COVID status in each home or village and allows us to take swift action if anything changes.
Where a resident tests positive, the resident will receive expert care within their own bedroom, from a small dedicated team using full PPE.
Should a staff member test positive, they will immediately self-isolate away from the home.
The government’s regular testing programme is carried out in our homes/ villages by a member of staff.
We strongly believe that testing is essential for managing and limiting the spread of infection in our homes and villages, and will take all the necessary precautions to keep our residents and staff safe.
As there is currently no evidence of immunity from COVID-19 following an initial recovery, we can only allow visits to be conducted following the procedures that are in place for that home/village.
If you are a resident’s named visitor for in room visits, you’ll be required to take a lateral flow test (LFT) with a negative result for the visit to go ahead. In line with Government guidance, visitors must register the negative test result on gov.uk before the visit takes place. Children under the age of 11 who are visiting a resident will not need to take a test.
Our teams will take all the necessary measures in line with Public Health’s guidelines to ensure the continued care and safety of our residents. If a resident displays symptoms or tests positive for the virus, they are cared for in their rooms, away from other residents, by our staff using the appropriate personal protective equipment.
The vast majority of residents and staff in our care homes and villages are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We are currently awaiting an update from Government on plans for the roll out of the booster and will continue to liaise closely with the NHS to ensure this is administered across our homes and villages as quickly and seamlessly as possible. We will keep our teams informed about when and how they can access this.
As soon as we have more information on the booster, we will share all the relevant information with our residents, their families and our staff, whilst continuing to strictly follow all Government and Public Health guidance to keep everyone safe.
Keeping our residents and our people safe is our priority. We have always had the necessary PPE required, allowing us to follow the strict guidance from Public Health. All homes have been supplied with appropriate levels of stock and our in-house procurement team is ready to source further supplies of PPE, such as hand sanitiser, masks and gloves, as needed.
All our staff practice good hand washing procedures and have the necessary personal protective equipment in line with guidance from Public Health. We are also following strict infection control measures in all our homes and villages.
The Government’s regular testing programme also gives us greater assurance of the COVID-status in our homes. Should a staff member test positive, they will immediately isolate away from the home.
In addition, we ask our staff not to travel to and from our care homes in their work uniform, with all homes having dedicated areas for staff changing.
Where possible, staff are assigned to specific units/floors to minimise their movement and spread of infection in a home or village. All our staff practice good hand washing procedures and are trained to use the necessary personal protective equipment in line with guidance from Public Health. We are also following strict infection control measures in all our homes.
Please be assured that as part of our resource planning, we have ensured there are enough staff to take good care of our residents.
It is really important that everyone at Bupa feels supported. Our Anytime Healthline provides around-the-clock support for physical health concerns, for use by colleagues and their families, while our Healthy Minds helpline provides free and confidential access to trained mental health nurses, 24/7. The team can also offer information and support on financial and legal matters.
We offer Emotional Wellbeing Online – an interactive digital tool to support colleagues with emotional wellbeing and life balance. We also have a range of financial resources in place to help our staff, including an emergency fund.
For more general questions about how we’re responding to the coronavirus:
Expert advice and tips from our
COVID-19 articles and videos
Our videos and articles take an in-depth look at the coronavirus, offering straightforward insights and advice from our own medical experts.
There are also lots of helpful tips for maintaining physical and mental health during the pandemic.
What we’ve been up to:
highlights from our care homes
Over the last few months, it’s been a real team effort between our residents and staff to keep spirits high and make everything feel as normal as possible.
Here are just some of the activities and events that have been happening in our homes recently. To get ongoing updates, please also follow the relevant care home on Facebook.
Useful information
The following webpages may be helpful to you:
World Heath Organization
Statistics, situation reports, myth-busting, vaccine news and much more from the WHO’s coronavirus hub.
NHS
Information about prevention, symptoms, testing, treatment and vaccination.
Gov.uk − Coronavirus (COVID‑19)
The government’s coronavirus hub, with the latest facts and figures, announcements, advice and guidance − including for businesses.
^Lines are open 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 12.30pm Saturday. Closed Sundays and bank holidays. Calls are charged at no more than local rate and count towards any inclusive minutes from mobiles. We may record or monitor our calls.
