Latest guidance for visiting in care settings
From Monday 17 May, care home residents will be able to have five named visitors for indoor visits.
Residents will also have more opportunities to leave their care homes to go on walks or visit a friend or family member’s garden and not self-isolate on their return.
Overview of key changes
- If you live in a care home, the number of named visitors you are allowed will increase from two to five.
- However only two visitors will be allowed at any one time or given day.
- Following a COVID-19 outbreak at a care home, visits will only pause for a minimum of 14 days rather than 28 days.
All care home residents can nominate five named visitors for indoor visiting. A maximum of two visitors will be allowed at any one time or on any given day.
These visits will be supported by providing visitors with rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests on every visit and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Those with greatest care and support needs can also benefit from personal care from a nominated ‘essential care giver’. With the agreement of the care home, these carers will be able to visit their loved ones more often and will have access to the same testing and PPE as care home staff to provide close contact support, such as washing, dressing or eating.
With agreement of the care home manager, named visitors may also bring babies and very young children (a definition for this is provided as under the age of two, but at the discretion of the care home manager).
In the event of outbreaks, care homes should immediately stop visiting (except in exceptional circumstances, such as end of life) to protect vulnerable residents, staff and visitors.
Vaccination is not mandatory and is not a condition of visiting, however it is strongly recommended that all visitors and residents take up the opportunity to be vaccinated when they are invited to do so through the national programme.
If you are visiting a care home resident as a named visitor, you will be required to take a rapid LFD test and test negative before every visit. If visitors test positive, they must immediately return home, self-isolate and complete a further test which will be provided to them by the care home.