Banburyshire care home defends Covid-safe visiting room described as 'prison-like'

Chacombe Park Care Home in Chacombe has built the room in a way that separates the resident and their visitor by an airtight Perspex screen. The resident and their visitor speak through an intercom system and airflow between the two is prevented.

Barchester Healthcare, which runs the home, says the design is a pilot which managers hope will give residents the opportunity to have visitors inside as colder weather approaches. It is the only safe way to have internal visiting and is designed as a temporary measure until the wider pandemic is brought under control, the company says.

However a report in The Daily Telegraph repeats claims by relatives that the room resembles prison visiting. It says some families are considering removing residents as a result. Barchester describes it as a safe 'pod' for families to be together in during the winter months, avoiding risks of infection that the home will not accept.

The newspaper's story says the room has been designed to look like a living room with teapot motifs on the wall, soft furnishings and lampshades. "The visitor and resident are parted by a wall-sized plastic panel and can talk via an intercom', it says.

The newly designed visiting room is an effort to allow visits from family and friends while keeping residents safe among a rising number of infections.

In a statement Barchester said: "At Chacombe Park we have recently adapted an indoor room that is accessible both internally and externally as a safe ‘pod’ for families to visit during the winter. The idea is to create an internal space that is hygienic and sealed to control airflow and prevent transference of the virus.

"The claim that this is like a prison has left us perplexed. The room is in essence a living room type area with a Perspex glass divider fitted for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will have soft furnishings, lampshades and cushions. There are decals of teapots on the wall.

“Evidence has shown us that only external distanced and internal sealed visiting is currently safe and that the inclement weather we shall soon be experiencing precludes external visits for many people.

"With the wellbeing of our residents and staff at the forefront of everything we do we have taken the route of this expensive alternative as all other solutions that have been suggested involve an elevated level of risk that is not consistent with that core objective and which we are not prepared to take.

"Feedback from families to date tells us that the majority of people would accept unusual arrangements if it meant being able to see their loved ones while also keeping them safe. Finally, it is worth noting that this is a temporary measure we are trialling until the wider pandemic is brought under control and do of course hope to allow visits again as normal once it is safe to do so.”

The company sent the Banbury Guardian a quote from an unnamed relative which said: “We have been very worried that we wouldn't be able to see Mum over the colder months so we were absolutely delighted to find mum (and we) were warm and inside. A wonderful surprise.

“It means so much to Mum and the other residents and relatives that meetings are real. It is so hard that the situation is as it is but you have really done the best you can. All looked so professional too. Mum is approaching her 90th birthday so we are hopeful we will be able to have a mini celebration after all.”