There will be no reconfinement of residents in nursing homes in France said the Minister for Autonomy Brigitte Bourguignon on Friday at our colleagues from France Bleu Nord. But as the fifth wave of Covid-19 is gradually affecting the country, how are the nursing homes preparing? In Bouère en Mayenne, management, caregivers and residents are redoubling their vigilance before any toughening of measures.
Visits maintained
It is not no question of restricting visits explains the director of the nursing home, but the rules must be repeated over and over again to families: “We always ask for the sanitary pass and we also ask that there be no more than two visitors per room but it is not easy at the moment with the end of the year, visitors come with small children etc … “ specifies Pascal Daubert “This is particularly in relation to the fact that many families are vaccinated and do not understand that they can always contaminate”.
We must continue to raise awareness – Pascal Daubert
Caregivers also remain strongly mobilized. Virginie is a regulatory nurse within the nursing home:“We are starting to get used to all these waves. We try to be all vigilant even if there is sometimes relaxation, it must be said. We continue to wear the mask, to wash our hands to protect the residents. but the mask tires us, the proximity with the residents that we no longer also have “. Despite this weariness, the efforts pay off sinceno cases of Covid-19 have been detected since the start of the pandemic in this retirement home.
New protocols soon?
Michel, a resident is annoyed by the return to strength of the virus: “It worries me I did not think to see him again! We can not stop him, he is stronger than us. We still risk being confined!”. For the moment, no containment of nursing homes is planned. In Bouère, a large part of the elderly will receive their third dose of vaccine at the end of the week.
We talk about the situation with the residents but many are resigned – Pascal Daubert
“We are ready in the event of new restrictions in nursing homes. We are prowled and we are used to being in the dark” specifies the director.