Free clinical support service for care home staff
Hospsicare, the hospice for Exeter, east and mid Devon has launched a new, free telephone advice line to support care home staff in our locality. The seven day a week service is staffed by a specialist nursing team and offers expert advice on end-of-life care for people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The telephone number is 01392 688049.
Hospicare’s care home support service also offers:
- Virtual clinic appointments with their specialist palliative medicine and end-of-life teams
- Virtual multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDT) via Microsoft Teams, led by our clinical nurse specialists and palliative medicine doctors supported by our admiral nurse and supportive care team.
Bereavement support during COVID-19
Hospiscare has also opened a bereavement referral line for mid and east Devon areas, for healthcare professionals to refer families and carers for bereavement support after a person has died from COVID-19 in a community setting, including care homes. To refer to this service, call 01392 688034 8am-8pm, seven days a week, or email the referral form to supportivecare.hospiscare@nhs.net.
Other resources for care and nursing home staff
We have also gathered together the following useful resources and advice for healthcare professionals working in care homes.
Advice for using facemasks
This advice from the World Health Organisation about putting on masks includes videos and posters that you might want to display around your workplace.
Guidance on care home admissions
This government guidance advises on how to admit and care for residents safely, as well as advice on how to protect your staff.
Information from Devon County Council
The Devon County Council website details contact information for key local contacts and information about the local Provider Engagement Network for Care Homes.
Good practice Guide to Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Care Homes
This guide from the British Geriatric Society has been developed to help care home staff and other healthcare professionals who work with them to support residents through the pandemic.
Medicines information
- This regularly updated Medicines Information is issued by the CQC for Adult Social Care providers and includes “Blister packs”, delegated tasks, controlled drugs and named patient drugs.
- Emergency guidance from the DHSC about reuse and repurposing of medications in Care Homes for the duration of the COVID pandemic.
Public Health England guidance on working safely in care homes (PPE advice)
This latest guidance (downloadable PDF) provides information on working safely in a care home setting. It includes PPE use recommendations for care home staff; frequently asked questions on the use of PPE in care homes; and examples to help identify the correct use of PPE when undertaking activities that require physical contact or activities that do not require physical contact but are carried out in close proximity to residents.
Guidance on Verification of an Expected (Adult) Death
This recorded presentation by Laura Marshall, Clinical Practice Facilitator at Hospiscare, explains the process of verifying an expected death in adult during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like access to this presentation video, please clinicalqualityteam@hospiscare.co.uk to request the password.
