Coronavirus: Preston care home bans family visits to protect residents from Covid-19

A Preston care home has closed its doors to visitors to stem the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).
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L & M Healthcare's Finney House in Flintoff Way put the measure in place this morning (Friday, March 13), which will last for the unforeseeable future.

Care home chiefs have stopped visitations to all of its North-West houses to help protect vulnerable residents from contracting Covid-19. But they are reassuring residents' loved ones that the house is fully equipped to deal with the outbreak.

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A L & M Heathcare spokesperson said: "We have not had any cases of the coronavirus and are making this decision as a precautionary measure.

L & M Healthcare's Finney House inFlintoff Way has closed its doors to visitors as of this morning (Friday, March 13) for the unforeseeable future.L & M Healthcare's Finney House inFlintoff Way has closed its doors to visitors as of this morning (Friday, March 13) for the unforeseeable future.
L & M Healthcare's Finney House inFlintoff Way has closed its doors to visitors as of this morning (Friday, March 13) for the unforeseeable future.

"We have to be very careful. Most of our residents are old and already frail, so taking steps to prevent them from catching the virus is in their best interests."

Preston woman Carol Fairclough has expressed her concern for her brother Anthony, who moved into the care home in December.

She says she visits him daily, does his washing and is worried about getting daily essentials to him.

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She added: "It takes two people to get him in and out of bed. He's had two strokes, two bleeds, and has had both sepsis and pneumonia. He was in critical care for two months.

"He's very dependent on family because the home has little staff up there. And now his physiotherapy has been cancelled."

But care home bosses are reassuring relatives that the house is fully staffed, always operates 10% above the minimum staffing levels and could bring in support workers from its sister property, Hulton House in Lightfoot Green Lane, Fulwood, which is not entirely occupied.

They also claim that Finney House is fully stocked with sanitisers and cleaning materials.

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Relatives are advised to contact care home manager Andrea Ekuruemu if residents need to access any specific essential items.

They can also keep in regular contact with residents via Skype, Facetime and telephone landlines, and activities inside the home will continue as normal.

The company says it is following Government guidelines but cannot yet say when visitations will recommence.

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