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Visitors are being welcomed back by staff at nursing and residential home provider Hythe Care, following the Government’s plan to ease restrictions.

Each resident at Hythe View, Saltwood Care Centre, and Balgowan House are now able to have one regular visitor. The nominated person is allowed to visit indoors at each of the care homes and can even hold hands with their loved one.

Pam Kehaya was one of the first visitors at Hythe View to take advantage of the new personal contact visits, as she visited her partner, 88-year-old Don Bartliff.

Don has been a resident at the care home for eight years following a stroke which took away his speech and left him needing nursing care.

Pam, aged 88, who visited Don three times a week prior to the pandemic, said: “Although Don can’t speak, he greeted me with a big smile.

“Just being able to sit with Don, hold his hand and chat has made my day. Although I’ve missed him terribly, I know Sharon and her team do a brilliant job in looking after him.”

Sharon Feleppa, manager at Hythe View, said: “The close contact visits are hugely beneficial to residents’ health and wellbeing, as they are finally able to hold the hand of a family member once again. It means the world to them.

“It’s just wonderful to see the joy in the faces of both our residents and their families.

“We are also continuing to accommodate other family members by facilitating pre-booked outside visiting with social distancing and indoor visiting in the visiting room with screens.”

For the nominated visitor, they are able to pre-book one 30-minute visit per week.

Ahead of the visit they will need to take a rapid Covid-19 lateral flow test, complete a questionnaire, and have their temperature checked.

All visitors are still required to sanitise their hands, and wear PPE.

The majority of staff and residents at all three nursing homes have had the first Covid-19 vaccine, with some managing to get appointments as early as Christmas Eve. Many of the staff have also now had their second dose of the vaccine.

Julian Ball, CEO of Hythe Care, said: “We are very excited by the success of the vaccination roll out and the ever improving and reducing infection levels in the Kent area. The return to visiting, albeit with some restrictions, is a first, very positive step towards more normal times.

“Throughout this very challenging pandemic the residents, the relatives and the staff have been fantastic in their patience and commitment to getting through as best they can. There is a real sense that we have been united all together in our efforts to fight this virus and protect each other.

“As national lockdown restrictions are eased further, we will remain careful and vigilant throughout this period and we are asking our residents’ relatives to do the same.”

Located on Tanners Hill, Saltwood Care Centre has 66 bedrooms. Hythe View is on North Road, overlooking the town of Hythe and Balgowan House is close to Saltwood Village Green. Both provide care for 40 residents.

All three nursing homes are open for new admissions and have a strict testing policy together with a committed approach to infection control and use of PPE.

For more details go to www.hythecare.com

You can also contact Amba Shaw, customer relationship manager, on 01303 760956 or by emailing amba.shaw@hythecare.com