We are in The Guardian newspaper, and other updates…

Firstly, we hope you are staying safe and well during this unprecedented and difficult time which is bringing so many challenges to each and every one of us, those whom we support, our friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

You may well have seen the extensive press coverage over the last few days about care homes and carers in relation to the pandemic. We were delighted to hear Mr Hancock announce that social carers will now be bracketed with NHS frontline staff, social care being the ‘second front line.’ This means a lot to our carers who will receive the new ‘brand’ card and thus have some elements of life made a little easier such as special shopping hours to fit around their work/life patterns.

In addition to the Government’s new ‘Carer’ brand card, we at Apple House have set up and paid for a Blue Light Card account for every one of our staff. This helps them to access reduced priced goods and special offers while times are harder and acts as a key worker identifier card.

Also in the media in relation to care homes is a topic which is more complex and difficult: visiting and end of life contact. In the context of visiting restrictions, and care home closures to visitors, Romaine Lawson, our director of operations, wrote recently for John’s Campaign blog and subsequently this blog post garnered the interest of a Guardian Newspaper journalist who reached out to Romaine yesterday.

Read the article HERE

It is indeed encouraging to hear about and see so much incredibly good work being carried out in care homes up and down the country. It is inspiring and reassuring; our loved ones are in safe and loving hands even when we can’t be there in person with our own hand in theirs.

Please take care and stay home, protect the NHS and all of our carers, and save lives.

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House Care Homes.