Growing number of care homes using mobile visitor pods to reunite residents with families

A growing number of care homes are using visitor pods to reunite residents with their families, who have been unable to see each other for months due to the pandemic.

It has been a struggle for many, particularly those with dementia, some of whom are unable to understand why their loved ones no longer visit. Care homes have done their utmost to maintain contact through video calls and visits through the window but it has still been a tough time for many.

This has led to the Relatives & Residents Association (RRA) and the National Care Forum to call for an easing on restrictions on visiting in care homes due to fears it is impacting on residents’ mental health.

The Relatives & Residents Association (RRA) has called the “emotional toll of months of separation immense” and James Bullion, president of Adass, which represents social services directors, said: “We can’t ease the restrictions upon the rest of society while keeping people with care and support needs locked down indefinitely”.

In the absence of any fresh guidance from the government on visiting in care homes in England and the issuing of new guidance to care homes in Scotland and Wales on how to carry out outdoor visits safely, many care homes are now opting for outdoor visits.

Some care homes have started hosting ‘drive thrus’ where families can ‘visit’ residents from their cars and others have introduced visitor pods.

Mobile visitor rooms are 'bringing smiles to all of us'

Swimbridge House Nursing Home in Devon is just one of many care homes across the UK which is thinking outside the box and reuniting families with residents through visitor pods.

It is renting mobile visitor rooms from Showplace Ltd, which in normal times provides event buildings and exhibition trailers to household brands.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now renting out its range of modular buildings and exhibition trailers to the care sector.

Dr Joost Van Delft, owner of Swimbridge House Nursing Home, said: “Swimbridge House Nursing Home is slowly opening to families and friends of our residents, with visits now possible by appointment. To enable visitors to safely meet with our residents in poor weather conditions, Showplace Ltd has installed a temporary ‘visitor centre’ in our garden. The premium quality structure is unlike typical tents and marquees. It has two doors, glass sides and themed interior walls. It has been a real joy to see families reunited after being apart for so long, and it has brought many smiles to all of us.”

Residents can 'socially distance' from their visitors

When using the visitor rooms, residents can ‘socially distance’ from their visitors by a thin, robust perspex or glass panel with two-way intercom provision if required.

The partition is an optional feature, with Swimbridge House opting for a partition free structure, which is more than large enough to meet social distancing guidelines. All visits are booked in advance and thorough cleaning of the area is undertaken after every visit to ensure the safety of residents, staff and visitors.

A range of different visitor pods which can be erected in a day on both hard ground or on grass

Rob Goodman, managing director of Showplace Ltd, said: “Showplace feels tremendously proud to deploy its premium infrastructure for such an essential purpose. Allowing care homes to safely facilitate visits between residents and families, will have enormous benefits for everybody’s health, happiness and wellbeing.”

Showplace Ltd’s solid sided temporary marquees and tents can be erected in a variety of sizes, shapes and configurations and are available for hire from one month up to two years.

Mr Goodman added: “They are the perfect solution for providing Covid secure visiting facilities to allow residents to meet with their loved ones. The vast choice of themed immersive interiors provide a tranquil meeting environment. Whether you opt for a forest or beach scene, or boats on the water as Swimbridge House has done, our visitor rooms are much more than a clinical weatherproof shelter.”

Showplace Ltd also has a fleet of mobile trailers that can be used as mobile visitor rooms.

To find out more about Showplace Ltd's visitor pods, contact them on 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk. For more information go to www.showplace.co.uk/blog/care-home