FROME care homes, Greenhill Grange and Belmont Villa, say their are relieved that their residents have all received their first Covid vaccine.
Sharon Welsh said, “I have been the manager here for 25 years, but the past year has been the most stressful time of my career.
“Myself and my niece, Mellissa Twohig, who manage Greenhill Grange, have felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to our residents, residents’ family and our staff to keep them safe within our homes.
“As a family we have had a lot of sleepless nights worrying about an outbreak, so when we heard there was going to be a vaccine available to us, we were delighted.
“It has been so much pressure keeping the virus out of the home, so many changes and sacrifices for all of us, but it has been worth it as we haven’t had any signs or symptoms in our homes at Greenhill Grange and Belmont Villa.
“I am so grateful to our staff and residents’ families for their continuous co-operation in maintaining this.
“We have a wonderfully dedicated and committed team of people working in our homes who genuinely care. We are so proud of them, they have had to make many changes in order to keep safe.
“Back in November – when we heard we were going to receive the vaccine there was uncertainty and genuine fear about the safety of the vaccination. We spent a lot of time giving information to residents, staff and residents’ family.
“As time went by and cases of Covid-19 were increasing in the community, the mood changed to a sense of urgency to have the vaccine. We feel lucky to live in a community where everyone has pulled together. Frome Medical Practice have been outstanding in supporting us from the outset. They set up systems to support us, virtual meetings and shared information. We are aware that other areas in the country have really struggled.
“We have also had good communication and information from other authorities, in particular Somerset adult social care department. We feel like the pandemic has improved communication for us and our voice is being heard.
“Over Christmas, our time was spent organising the vaccination process, and we have adhered to regulations to ensure the processes for residents were correct. This was hours and hours of work, but we embraced the thought of light at the end of the tunnel and seeing some sort of normality returning for us all.
“On the day of the vaccinations it was an early start; a team from Frome Medical Practice attended and we visited Greenhill Grange then Belmont Villa.
“At the same time, Frome Medical Practice held a clinic for staff to attend the health centre. There was great sense of camaraderie within the homes, it really was memorable day
“There were mixed feelings of excitement, apprehension and sharing stories. One resident who is 106 years old and a retired nurse, recalled the 1918 pandemic where her father was a GP. Another resident was very nervous, so her favourite staff member had hers with the resident watching, then felt safer to receive her vaccination. Mother and daughter together received their vaccinations, supporting each other. There were some lovely stories, it was a day we won’t forget. By the end of the day, all residents and 90% of staff had received their first vaccination.
“Care homes have been very much in the press during the past year, particularly around visiting. Within our homes we have continued with visits, firstly outside then, when the weather changed, we had safe screened visiting area built. This has meant residents have been able to keep contact with their loved ones. Technology has also played a huge part in how we have continued with family contact by using video calls, this has been interesting for residents and staff learning new skills.
“We feel privileged to have been able to receive the vaccine quickly, it means so much to be able to continue to keep our staff and residents safe. We hope to be able to receive the second dose quickly for maximum protection; we are aware this could be up to 12 weeks instead of the original recommended time of 21 days.
“Both residents and staff look forward to getting life back to normal, hugging their families will be the best part of 2021.”
