Staff at elderly homes to be tested for COVID-19
The Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly on Main Street is adjacent to the old Peebles Hospital.
Chief Social Development Officer Annie Malone-Frett said plans are underway to conduct critical COVID-19 tests on staff providing care to residents at the elderly homes in the territory.
She told BVI News in a recent interview that it was one of the methods of keeping the vulnerable population residing at these local facilities safe.
“We have limited the entrances that workers can enter the building. There are designated areas in which they can enter, and once they enter, they go through a temperature check. We are also making provisions right now to have them all tested for COVID-19 through the Public Health Department,” she stated.
There are roughly 30 staff members at the Adina Donavan Home providing care to 20 residents, some of whom (residents) are bedridden. About five persons are also housed at the Virgin Gorda Elderly Home.
Social media helps
In the meantime, with the halt on visitations to these homes, Malone-Frett said residents are using social media to communicate with their family and friends who are unable to visit.
“Being that it is such a volatile population group, we took the proactive step to not allow persons to go in. But with the use of social media, persons who are in a position to get into that where we can access contact between family members and there are also the phone calls that are still allowed.”
She continued: “It has been going well. There are persons who are bedridden, so the smaller minority in terms of persons who can participate in those activities are those persons who would be given the opportunity.”
Cabinet to decide when to resume visitations
Like the rest of the world, COVID-19 has also affected the residents of these elderly homes as it relates to their ability to communicate and socialize.
“At some point, we will open back the doors to visitors in a controlled manner, so we are working on what those protocols should look like, and once those protocols are finalized and submitted to the Cabinet, they are the ones who will make the final submission on that,” Malone-Frett stated.
Income
Meanwhile, she said one of the ways the elderly homes receive income is through the Social Security Board.
“There is currently not a standardized policy in place whereby persons are deemed or mandated to pay for their stay. However, there are some persons who are admitted, and if they have Social Security contributions under the Social Security Ordinance, it says whoever is providing care for you that is where half of your contributions should go. So for some of them who are there, that’s basically how their monies are being utilized.”
She said that half of the monies go to the Treasury Department, “to make sure that there is accountability” while the other half goes to the elderly residents themselves or to a designated family member.
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This should have been done from the beginning! Good Move!
The Nursing home should have been tested from the beginning. But, I guess better late than never.
Why test? The Honorable (I say that laughing) Foy says there is no Covid in the Territory. If what he says is true then what is the purpose. There is no need to test, no need for curfews. Just test and quarantine new arrivals. But…. don’t let the ones from the uppity Belonger sector roam freely when they return.
They haven’t been tested yet, even where there were actually active cases in the territory????! That didn’t occur you, when you were locking up healthy people in their homes and denying children their educations and barring legal residents from entering their own country and making them pay thousands for unnecessary quarantine, to do even the most basic testing to protect the most vulnerable among us? These staff should have been the FIRST people tested and they should be tested weekly if not daily. If even one case gets in there it’s curtains, a mini New York. This government is a disgrace. Do better.
Not tested, were not even being given masks or protective equipment to wear.
THE VIP HAS GOT TO GO!!!!!
Aren’t we supposed to be COVID free why are they being tested
This should have happened from day 1 why now?
VIP hiding a lot
We are not COVID free. There are people walking around with the virus but they just don’t know that they are carrying the virus. I am still practicing good hygiene, social distancing, wearing a mask if I go out or enter any place of business and still wiping down all my groceries with warm soapy bleach water.
Horse before the cart.
Those who work in home help should be I that bracket too.
Question? Do they change their street clothes when they arrive at the work site?
Hmm they should be commending them on work well done. These staff tried their best.. when covid was rampant no tests were ordered .why now? SOME BODY LIGHTING LAMP WHEN DAY LIGHT.???♀️. I am the hairdresser for one of the staff. I called her say come let me do your hair. Her comment was” no way, I have 20 residents to protect, i can’t risk that. worst so many people to be out of a job because of my mistake”. Please give the staff a break..let them be.
That is an exemplary employee, we need more people like her.
Absolute nonsense! Better late than never doesn’t fit in here… too late! Too late! Few months too late.
Best you all keep those test kits for the returning residents. You know they are going to need them. What’s the reason behind the testing? I guess you have no answers.