Resources

"How do I want to...?" in Covid moments (Matia Fundazioa, Spain)

This document provides good practices and recommendations for the support of people who have to do quarantine and/or isolation in the living unit. It provides steps and questions to facilitate the person’s participation in the restraint relief measures.

“¿Cómo quiero…?” en momentos Covid / “Nola nahi dut…?” Covid uneetan. Donostia-San Sebastián, Matia Fundazioa, 2021, 6 p.

10 recommendations of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology for the management of new outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in nursing homes for elderly people (Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology)

The following recommendations are aimed at the control of outbreaks that will appear during de-escalation in nursing homes (opening of nursing homes to family visits and outings of residents). These recommendations are made to pursue two objectives:

Objective 1: to provide a rapid response to the appearance of any outbreak, trying to stop the spread of infection.
Objective 2: to adequately treat patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the best possible location and, depending on their clinical situation and wishes, to offer preventive, supportive or palliative treatment. As is done for the rest of the population.

10 recomendaciones de la Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología (SEGG) para el manejo de los rebrotes de la infección por SARS-CoV-2 en las residencias de personas mayores. Madrid, Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, 2020, 7 p.

Action guide for people with chronic health conditions and elderly people in a confined situation. Alarm status by COVID-19 (Ministry of Health, Spain)

This document is a guide for people with underlying health conditions and older persons who are living in isolation, aimed towards reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19. It gives measures on staying home, PPE, leading a healthy life in isolation, medicine, emotional wellbeing, and healthcare. It also contains annexes with information for people suffering from specific conditions (such as diabetes, epilepsy or asthma).

Guía de actuación para personas con condiciones de salud crónicas y personas mayores en situación de confinamiento. Estado de alarma por COVID-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 22 p.

Action guide for people with chronic health conditions and elderly people in confinement. State of alarm for Covid-19 (Ministry of Health, Spain)

This document is oriented to offer basic general guidelines for the most vulnerable people, those of advanced age and those with chronic health conditions in confinement due to the Covid-19 alarm state. It includes an annex with specific recommendations for people with some of the chronic pathologies that require special care by patients or their caregivers.

Guía de actuación para personas con condiciones de salud crónicas y personas mayores en situación de confinamiento. Estado de alarma por Covid-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 22 p.

Action guides and recommendations for older people, caregivers and family members, in the context of the health crisis caused by COVID-19 (Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030)

This website compiles a few guides for older people, their family and their carers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. These guides are part of a wider initiative by the Spanish Health Ministry, and IMSERSO has listed the ones that are oriented towards older people.

Guías de actuación y recomendaciones para personas mayores, cuidadores y familiares, ante la crisis sanitaria provocada por el COVID-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda 2030, 2020, online.

Adaptation of measures in nursing homes and other social services centers of residential character within the framework of vaccination (Ministry of Health, Spain)

This document includes the adaptation measures that will be assessed in residential centers in which the vaccination strategy has been completed and in which there is no open outbreak, regarding residents, visits, departures and admissions and working staff of the residential centers.

Information is also provided on how to proceed in the event of the appearance of a suspected case in a vaccinated resident or worker.

Adaptación de las medidas en residencias de mayores y otros centros de servicios sociales de carácter residencial en el marco de la vacunación (15 de marzo 2021). Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2021, 3 p.

Adapted prevention measures. Circuits and other guidelines for nursing homes and health and social care centers (Doctors Without Borders, Spain)

This document is aimed towards nursing home and residential centre staff and offers preventive measures in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

In the first place, it gives guidelines on how to avoid infection and keep infected objects and people separated from those who are not infected, via circuits and other strategies. These guidelines are given on a variety of topics: isolation of residents, shared spaces, clothing, kitchen, laundry, waste management, elevator use, mobile phone use, extraordinary duties, management of bodies and staff’s return home.

In the second place, it gives hygiene and disinfection related preventive measures. For this, it explains how to prepare sodium hypochlorite and gives some basic principles that must be followed.

Finally, it also gives the steps that need to be followed in order to disinfect reusable Personal Protective Equipment.

Medidas de prevención adaptadas. Circuitos y otras pautas para residencias de ancianos y centros socio-sanitarios. Barcelona, Médicos Sin Fronteras, 2020, 19 p.

Additional Covid-19 guidance for caregivers of people living with dementia in community settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This website provides with guidance for people who care for someone living with dementia, so as they can protect themselves and others during the COVID-19 pandemic and what additional steps they can take to protect their loved one. It provides information about the following topics:

When do they need to seek medical attention for their loved one
What to do if their loved one needs to be hospitalized for COVID-19
What to do If they get sick
Be aware of the symptoms for Covid-19
How to take care of themselves

Additional Covid-19 guidance for caregivers of people living with dementia in community settings. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, online.

Addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of Covid-19 outbreak. Version 1.5 (Inter-Agency Standing Committee)

This briefing note summarizes key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including those related to the stress management of the elderly and people with disabilities during the pandemic.

Addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of Covid-19 outbreak. Version 1.5 (February 2020). Geneva, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2020, 14 p.

Advance care planning in the community in the context of COVID-19 (Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service, UK)

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of advance care planning (ACP), and presents opportunities to widen access to its benefits, in the context of raised public awareness of how health can deteriorate suddenly and unexpectedly.

This rapid review synthesises recent evidence regarding ACP in community settings, considering its implications with respect to COVID-19, and highlights existing guidelines and resources.

Palliative Care Group of the Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service, Advance care planning in the community in the context of COVID-19. Oxford, University of Oxford, 2020, online.

Advice for people with dementia and their families, regarding the coronavirus (Dementia UK)

Dementia UK is a charity that provides specialist dementia support for families through their Admiral Nurse service. They have a helpline (phone and through email) and have some advice on how to cope with self-isolation or quarantine and issues that arise when people do not live with the persons they care for. They have produced a collection of very helpful resources for people living with dementia under lockdown

Advice for people with dementia and their families, regarding the coronavirus. London, Dementia UK, 2020, online.

Advice for relatives and carers of people with dementia (Spanish Society of Neurology)

This document compiles a series of recommendations for caregivers of people with dementia. It provides information on how to protect oneself from infection, specific advice for carers in the home and in assisted living, as well as for the confinement situation.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): consejos para cuidadores de demencia. Barcelona, Sociedad Española de Neurología, 2020, 6 p.

Advice for those living with an older family member to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission (Alzheimer’s Indonesia)

Alzheimer’s Indonesia is an NGO working to improve quality of life of people with dementia and their carers in Indonesia. The organisation’s website has published advice for those living with an older family member to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. (In Bahasa Indonesia)

Tips mencegah penularan Covid-19 bila Anda tinggal serumah dengan Iansia (Tips to prevent transmission of Covid-19 if you live with the elderly). Jakarta, Alzheimer’s Indonesia, 2020, online.

After-care needs of inpatients recovering from COVID-19 (NHS England)

This guidance supports primary care and community health services to meet the immediate and longer-term care needs of patients discharged following an acute episode of COVID-19, by describing the typical expected health care needs of these patients, post-discharge.

The guidance is focused on the clinical interventions that the NHS will lead on. However holistic care is impossible without the partnership with adult social care professionals and social care providers and we will be working with the Department for Health and Social Care to support them in their roles.

After-care needs of inpatients recovering from COVID-19. Redditch, NHS England, 2020, 32 p.

Alzheimer’s Disease International resources on dementia during COVD-19 (Alzheimer's Disease International, UK)

This website offers links to news, resources, stories, advice and support for people with dementia and their carers in the context of COVID-19. It also has country-specific information for over 100 countries, in various languages.

Alzheimer’s Disease International resources on dementia during COVD-19. London, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2020, online.

Assessing and managing older care home residents in acute and emergency care settings (British Geriatrics Society)

The goal of this infographic is to share advice and good practice on simple, practical steps that can help to improve assessment and management. The tool also aims to address common misperceptions.

Assessing and managing older care home residents in acute and emergency care settings. London, British Geriatrics Society, 2020, 1 p.

Assessing and managing older care home residents in acute and emergency care settings (Scottish Government, UK)

This video shares advice and good practice on simple, practical steps that can help to improve assessment and management of older care home residents in acute and emergency care settings

Assessing and managing older care home residents in acute and emergency care settings. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, online.

Basic psychosocial skills. A guide for Covid-19 responders (Inter-Agency Standing Committee)

Basic psychosocial support skills are at the core of any mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) intervention. All relief providers involved in the COVID-19 response should be equipped with basic psychosocial support skills, whether they identify as an MHPSS provider or not. This illustrated guide, developed by the IASC Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Reference Group (MHPSS RG), aims at building basic psychosocial skills among all essential workers responding to COVID-19.

Basic psychosocial skills. A guide for Covid-19 responders. Geneva, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2021, 26 p.

Brief guidance for dementia and cognitive impairment during COVID-19 (British Geriatrics Society)

This website is brief guide on COVID-19 and how it affects people living with dementia and/or cognitive impairment and their carers. It lists some key factors about the intersection of said issues, as well as ways of offering specific support.

Brief guidance for dementia and cognitive impairment during COVID-19. London, British Geriatrics Society, 2020, online.

Calendar of Webinars on the subject of care for the elderly in residential and community settings (Edad & Vida Foundation, Spain)

The Edad & Vida Foundation, through this website, offers the possibility of accessing the different Webinars it has organised on the subject of the elderly, both in the residential and community settings.

It covers topics on long-term care, nutrition, safety in residential centres, home care, etc.

Calendar of webinars on the subject of care for the elderly in residential and community settings. Barcelona, Fundación Edad & Vida, 2020, online.

Care home review. A rapid review of factors relevant to the management of COVID-19 in the care home environment in Scotland (Scottish Government, UK)

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport commissioned this review into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and transmission of COVID-19 infection within four care homes in Scotland. It includes a list of recommendations based on risk factors that were found to be common in at least two of the homes.

Care home review. A rapid review of factors relevant to the management of COVID-19 in the care home environment in Scotland. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2020, 50 p.

Care homes and the coronavirus outbreak (Dementia UK)

The outbreak of coronavirus has been a challenging time for everyone, but especially for people living in care homes, their families and the care home staff. People living in care homes are likely to be older, living with dementia, frail or have other underlying health conditions; all of these factors place them at increased risk of coronavirus.

Dr Sarah Russell and Suzanne Wightman from the national charity Dementia UK put together some common questions and answers about Care Homes and the Coronavirus Outbreak for people living with dementia and family carers.

Care homes and the coronavirus outbreak. London, Dementia UK, 2020, online.

Care homes strategy for Infection Prevention & Control of Covid-19 based on clear delineation of risk zones (Eric Fewster, Independent Water & Environmental Manager, UK)

This care homes strategy is based around a fundamental understanding of asymptomatic / pre-symptomatic transmission as a major contributor to the spread of COVID-19. Because of that, the authors stress strongly the importance of clear delineation of risk zones throughout the entire building, in order to reduce cross-contamination including from asymptomatic residents to whom ‘normal care’ might otherwise be given. This method of zoning (also known as ‘Traffic Control Bundling or TCB) is known to have greatly reduced infection within health care centres from previous SARS and Ebola outbreaks.

This is a revised version of the document dated 12th December 2020. Main areas updated are:

Protocols for laundry updated and expanded (section 13)
Updated recommendation on use of certain lateral flow tests as a primary barrier, and implications for visiting (sections 1 and 7)
Section 15 on staff health updated

Fewster, E. Care homes strategy for Infection Prevention & Control of Covid-19 based on clear delineation of risk zones (Version date: 12^th December 2020). Antananarivo, BushProof, 2020, 57 p.

Care of residents in long term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim guidance (Public Health Agency of Canada)

This document provides care guidance specific to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canadian homes/facilities where older adults require continuous supervised care, including professional health services, personal care and other services such as meals, laundry and housekeeping.

This guidance provides employed and contracted LTCH staff with interim advice on important aspects of care for all LTCH residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the timely and safe supportive management of residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Recommendations for LTCH staff, resident and family/caregiver preparedness, resident assessment, active medical management, palliative care, mental health disorders, delirium and responsive behaviours, and psychosocial aspects of care are included.

Care of residents in long term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim guidance. Ontario, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020, online.

Caring for someone, nearing end of life, at home during the Covid-19 crisis (The Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland)

This document provides information for people who have to care for their terminally ill loved ones at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. It will help them to prepare both practically and emotionally.

Tips on staying in contact with GPs and other community-based healthcare professionals are provided below. This is followed by practical information about providing end-of-life care at home. The document also provides answers to some questions about caring for someone at the end of life during the Covid-19 crisis.

Caring for someone, nearing end of life, at home during the Covid-19 crisis. Dublin, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 2021, 8 p.

CFHI-CPSI Pandemic preparedness and response in long-term care. Self-assessment (Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

To help support homes from the long-term care (LTC) and retirement home sector learn from each other strengthen pandemic preparedness, the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute launched LTC+: Acting on Pandemic Learning Together. As part of the program, teams delivering healthcare to older adults in congregate settings complete a Self-Assessment Tool. This self-assessment (non-exhaustive and non-validated) is a tool to help long-term care and retirement homes assess pandemic preparedness, inform outbreak response planning, and prepare for future waves of Covid-19.

The tool can help to identify strengths and areas for improvement to inform pandemic planning efforts ahead of future waves of Covid-19. It can be complementary to Covid-19-specific checklists that may be regionally or provincially available.

CFHI-CPSI Pandemic preparedness and response in long-term care. Self-assessment. Ottawa, Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute, 2021, 7 p.

Checklist for contingency plans for residential settings (Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Spain)

This document proposes a list of basic contents that should be included in the contingency plans of residential settings. These plans are mandatory, in accordance with Article 10 of Royal Decree-Law 21/2020 of June 9, 2005.

The contents refer to the following topics:

Current state of the center and initial capacity assessment
Resources, equipment and facilities
Health surveillance
Communication management
Humanization of care

Secretaría de Estado de Derechos Sociales, Lista de verificación de los planes de contingencia de los centros sociales residenciales. Madrid, Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda 2030, 2020, 6 p.

Clinical governance requirements for Covid-19 vaccination clinics at residential aged care facilities (Department of Health, Australia)

The following outlines the clinical governance requirements and accountabilities for Covid-19 vaccination clinics at residential aged care facilities (RACF). The RACF and the immunisation provider each have clinical governance accountabilities related to the vaccination activity over three phases:

Preparation for the vaccine clinic
The clinic
Conclusion of each clinic and post clinic

Clinical governance requirements for Covid-19 vaccination clinics at residential aged care facilities. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, 7 p.

Coming into Hospital: Coronavirus. A Guide for people with dementia, families and carers (Alzheimer Scotland)

This guide offers information on hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with dementia, as well as their family and carers.

Firstly, it explains the need for social distancing and isolation, and lists ways hospital staff can support people with dementia during this time. Secondly, it outlines hospital visiting restrictions (namely, it explains the current advice, which is to only allow one visitor if it is deemed essential) and offers alternatives to in-person communication. Thirdly, lists what things should be packed in advance for a potential unplanned hospital visit. In addition, explains why Personal Protective Equipment is necessary for staff and patients, gives reasons why it might be distressing for people with dementia, and offers measures to reduce said patient anxieties. Finally, it defines the team of staff who will be taking care of the person with dementia.

Coming into Hospital: Coronavirus. A Guide for people with dementia, families and carers. Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland, 2020, 5 p.

Community-based organizations COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit. Educating communities on the importance of COVID-19 vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This toolkit is designed for staff of organizations serving communities affected by COVID-19, such as social service organizations, faith-based organizations, YMCAs/YWCAs, fraternities, school organizations (e.g., PTAs/PTOs), meal delivery services, senior centers, and others.

The toolkit will help those organizations educate community members about COVID-19 vaccines, raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination, and address common questions and concerns.

Community-based organizations COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit. Educating communities on the importance of COVID-19 vaccines. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Confinement advice for people with dementia (Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Spain)

The Pasqual Maragall Foundation blog offers advice for people who live with dementia and their relatives or caregivers during confinement due to the COVID-19.

Consejos confinamiento personas con demencia. Barcelona, Fundación Pasqual Maragall, 2020, online.

Considerations for preventing spread of Covid-19 in assisted living facilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This website provides a series of recommendations that assisted living facilities should take into account in order to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus.

Considerations for preventing spread of Covid-19 in assisted living facilities. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, online.

Coronarivus (Covid-19). Protocol relating to applicable instructions on confinement in social and health and social care establishments and services and units of long-term care (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document is a guideline on managing lockdown in care homes and residential long term care centres.

Firstly, it defines the various types of lockdown, and when they should be applied. Secondly, it gives some advice on managing the limitation of in-site circulation, this is to say, individual isolation of users within their rooms. It explains when it should be put in place, what circulation should be preserved, how to maintain social links, and more. Thirdly, it gives some recommendations regarding visitors, both friends and family and essential professionals.

Conoravirus (Covid-19). Protocole relatif aux consignes applicables sur le confinement dans les établissements et services sociaux et médico sociaux et unités de soins de longue durée. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et Santé, 2020, 10 p.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in residential aged care facilities and visitors (Department of Health, Australia)

Residents and their visitors need to keep up to date with changes in residential aged care to protect residents during COVID-19. Managers, staff, family, friends and residents need to work together to protect older people in aged care facilities.

This website includes the following sections:

Advice for care recipients
If you are not feeling well
Know the visitor restrictions at your facility
What visitors need to do
More information

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in residential aged care facilities and visitors. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with chronic health conditions (Department of Health, Australia)

This website provides information for people with chronic conditions, as they are at greater risk of more serious illness if they are infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).

The information includes:

Conditions that increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19
Protecting yourself
Services and support
More information

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with chronic health conditions. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability (Department of Health, Australia)

Some people with disability will be at greater risk of more serious illness if infected by coronavirus. Reasons for this include chronic conditions or a weakened immune system. This website offers them information about the following topics:

Why people with disability are at risk
Protecting yourself
Services and support
Supporting people with disability
Auslan videos
More information

Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice for people with disability. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines for outbreaks in residential care facilities (Communicable Diseases Network Australia)

This document is an extensive guide on managing the COVID-19 crisis in residential care facilities.

In the first place, explains the legal framework of the pandemic, and the roles and responsibilities of various entities. This is followed by a detailed explanation of what COVID-19 is, how it is transmitted, who is at risk, and more. There are also guidelines on preparing for an outbreak and preventing exposure to the virus and it’s spread. Furthermore, there are explanations on identifying, testing for and notifying of COVID-19 cases, and a section on managing outbreaks. Finally, there are a number of appendixes, in the form of graphics and templates, which offer more information on a variety of related topics.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines for outbreaks in residential care facilities. Canberra, Communicable Diseases Network Australia (Department of Health), 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection control for care providers (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This document is a resource aimed at care home staff, in order to educate them on COVID-19 and infection control.

It includes information on what COVID-19 is, preventing it’s spread, hygiene (both hand washing and respiratory), Personal Protective Equipment, laundry management and management of people with a high risk of contracting the virus.

The document also has several links to more in-depth guides and resources on related topics by sources such as the NHS and Public Health England.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection control for care providers. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) learning materials for staff working in health and social care (Public Health Scotland)

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are developing a range of educational and induction resources for?all ?health and social care staff deployed or redeployed to support?services. The website will be regularly reviewed and updated in line with current advice and as new material becomes available.

This is available for all health and social care staff and volunteers deployed to support clinical services, but will be particularly useful in the event of people needing redeployed to other areas. We have included input from Medicine, NMAHP, Psychology, Pharmacy and the Clinical Skills Managed Education Network.

The website will be regularly reviewed to check the advice being given is up to date, and we will be adding to it regularly, as new material currently in preparation becomes available. To date it contains:

assessment diagnosis and management of suspected COVID 19 infection
details of the community pathway for managing COVID 19 in Scotland
how to take a respiratory history and examination
induction to community pharmacy
interpretation of arterial blood gases
management of patients with COVID 19
procedural skills linked to the assessment and management of COVID 19
protecting your workplace
protecting yourself in the workplace
rehearsing scenarios for practice in care of patients with COVID 19
wellbeing sections on looking after yourself, your patients and your staff

Useful links include:

Apps to help with accessing the evidence to support decisions, remote working with consultations and related information governance guidelines.
A link for trainees with guidance and documents relating to the impact on training.
Other links related to COVID 19.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) learning materials for staff working in health and social care. Glasgow, Public Health Scotland, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for permanent aged care residents – emergency leave (Department of Health, Australia)

Residents in aged care facilities can now take temporary leave from an aged care home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fact sheet explains the changes for aged care residents and their families.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for permanent aged care residents – emergency leave. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 7 p.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): adult care homes visiting guidance (Scottish Government)

The underpinning aim of the guidance is to balance the risk associated with more people coming into the care homes alongside the potential harm associated with the loss of contact with family and friends. The guidance considers how visiting indoors may be re-introduced whilst minimising the risks to residents, staff and visitors. It has been reviewed in conjunction with Health Protection Scotland / Public Health Scotland and aligns with policies and recommendations in terms of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).

From the 10 August 2020 visiting outdoors can now be extended to up to 3 visitors from 2 households with all precautions remaining in place. Prior to the introduction of internal visiting, families and loved ones may also continue to visit residents in any care home who are bed bound or not fit to go outside at a window. This will need to be scheduled to ensure that risks form increased footfall are mitigated and residents can be supported.

The development of this guidance has been undertaken with the following principles in mind:

At all times a person-centred approach must be taken.
Resident, staff and visitor safety is crucial.
An evidence-based approach requires to be used for both national and local implementation of visiting practice.
A staged approach to the reintroduction of visiting will be adopted as per table below; progression will be as fast as possible while fully taking into account the risks at key stages.
Flexibility will be required; for example in the event of a case of COVID-19 in a care home and/or evidence of community hotspots or outbreaks, care homes may need to rapidly impose visiting restrictions. Local Health Protection Teams will guide and advise on this.
A clear national policy for the testing of care home staff and residents.
Monitoring of safety within the care home during the pandemic by the use and reporting of key indicators as contained in the safety huddle template.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): adult care homes visiting guidance. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2020.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for unpaid carers (Community Health and Social Care Directorate of the Scottish Government, UK)

This guidance is for anyone who cares for a friend or family member who, due to a lifelong condition, illness, disability, serious injury, a mental health condition or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. It provides information about support available to them during this time of pandemic.

Community Health and Social Care Directorate. Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for unpaid carers. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults - Updated 14 January 2021 (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This guidance is for care workers and personal assistants who provide support to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults. It aims to help care staff keep people with learning disabilities and autistic people safe, to support them to understand the changes they need to make during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to protect their own wellbeing.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults – Updated 14 January 2021. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments (Department of Health and Social Care, UK)

This website provides information and advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments. London, Department of Health and Social Care, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): information for families looking after someone with dementia (Dementia UK)

In this worrying time for families looking after someone with dementia due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are a few things they can do to look after themselves and the person with dementia. This website includes several ressources and advice to help them, divided in the following sections:

Ongoing challenges for people with dementia during coronavirus
Coronarivus: questions and answers
Advice around face coverings
Care homes and the coronavirus outbreak
Leaflets and information, blogs and ideas for people living with dementia during this time
Dementia HelpLine, staffed by dementia specialist nurses, it is for anyone with a question or concern about dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease

Coronavirus (COVID-19): information for families looking after someone with dementia. London, Dementia UK, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): provision of home care. Guidance (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This page aims to answer frequently asked questions from registered providers, social care staff, local authorities and commissioners who support and deliver care to people in their own homes, including supported living settings, in England. The main topics are:

Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Clinically extremely vulnerable people and care groups
Hospital discharge and testing
COVID-19 vaccination
Government support for social care
Information collection and governance
Other areas

Coronavirus (COVID-19): provision of home care. Guidance. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Safeguards when visiting an adult care home (Scottish Government, UK)

This guide explains what to expect when visiting a loved one in an adult care home and how you can help keep everyone safe. Main topics are:

Coronavirus testing for people visiting care homes
Safeguards during your visit
Working together with the care home team

NHS Inform, Coronavirus (Covid-19): Safeguards when visiting an adult care home. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, online.

Coronavirus (Covid-19): Tips for Dementia Caregivers (Alzheimer's Association, USA)

The American Alzheimer’s Association has produced information for caregivers of people with dementia during the pandemic. The resourde contains tips to support people with dementia whether they live at home or in a residential facility home.

Coronavirus (Covid-19): Tips for Dementia Caregivers. Chicago, Alzheimer’s Association, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tips for dementia caregivers in long-term or community-based settings (Alzheimer's Association, USA)

This document gives tips for Dementia Caregivers in Long-Term or Community-Based Settings in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. It gives advice on preventing illness, providing person-centered care, keeping them connected to friends and family, assistance with eating and drinking, walking and unsafe wandering and dementia-related behaviours. There are also links to other COVID-19 resources and related associations.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tips for dementia caregivers in long-term or community-based settings. Chicago, Alzheimer’s Association, 2020, online.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): unpaid carers providing personal care (Community Health and Social Care Directorate of the Scottish Government, UK)

This is advice for unpaid carers who visit or live with a friend or family member to provide help with personal care such as washing or dressing. It covers the situations in which unpaid carers may require personal protective equipment (PPE).

Community Health and Social Care Directorate. Coronavirus (COVID-19): unpaid carers providing personal care. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2020, online.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Preparedness checklist for nursing homes and other long-term care settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This tool is a checklist to help care homes and other long term care settings ensure that they are prepared for a potential COVID-19. It is meant to be printed and filled in, and asks a variety of questions which can be marked “completed”, “in progress” or “not started”. These questions are sorted into 3 sections (structure for planning and decision making, development of a written COVID-19 plan and elements of a COVID-19 plan), which are meant to be used as a guide by care home staff.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Preparedness checklist for nursing homes and other long-term care settings. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, 8 p.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Training (Public Health Foundation, United States)

Training related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is available through the TRAIN Learning Network, a national learning network that aggregates training opportunities for public health, healthcare, and preparedness professionals from thousands of training providers. This includes training from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and other organizations.

Access training on:

COVID-19

Contact Tracing

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication

Infection Control in Long-Term Care Facilities

Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Personal Protective Equipment

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Training. Washington, Public Health Foundation, 2020, online.

Coronavirus guidance from Social Care Online (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This is a list of the latest resources from Social Care Online, the UK’s largest database of care knowledge and research. It has links to 10 guides on how various social care related fields should handle the COVID-19 crisis.

Coronavirus guidance from Social Care Online. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Covid 1-Measures in nursing homes and other residential structures (Ministry of Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights, Belgium)

This website, aimed at nursing homes and other residential structures, provides with information on vaccinations, visits and outings outside the centre, saliva tests, mobile emergency teams, health personnel, etc. Last update: 15 January 2021.

Covid-19. Mesures dans les maisons de repos (MR-MRS) et autres structures résidentielles. Jambes, Ministère de l’Emploi, de la Formation, de la Santé, de l’Action Sociale, de l’Égalité des Chances et des Droits des Femmes, 2021, online.

Covid 19-Instructions relating to the activities, outings and visits granted to residents accommodated in nursing and care homes in Wallonia (Ministry of Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights, Belgium)

This is a circular with instructions for activities, outings and visits granted to residents applicable in nursing and care homes in Wallonia.

Morreale, C. Covid 19-Instructions relatives aux activités, sorties et visites accordées aux résidents hébergés au sein des maisons de repos et maisons de repos et de soins en Wallonie. Jambes, Ministère de l’Emploi, de la Formation, de la Santé, de l’Action Sociale, de l’Égalité des Chances et des Droits des Femmes, 2020, 3 p.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) – Guidelines for nursing homes approved and subsidized by COCOM (Iriscare, Belgium)

This document is a series of guidelines for nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Firstly, it gives a quick overview of the symptoms of the illness. Secondly, it lists the preventive hygiene measures that need to be taken, including frequent handwashing, keeping a security distance between people and the use of single-use tissues. Thirdly, it gives some organizational measures that need to be taken regarding staff, users, visitors and cleaning. Finally, it outlines the procedure that must be applied when there is suspicion of COVID-19 within the institution. This procedure explains the steps to take when a resident potentially has been infected, the proper maintenance of a room where a resident with COVID-19 lives, and the management of the death of a resident with COVID-19.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) – Consignes aux maisons de repos et maisons de repos et de soins agréées et subventionnées par la COCOM. Bruxelles, Iriscare, 2020, 12 p.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Instructions to nursing homes and care homes approved and subsidised by the COCOM concerning restrictions on visits and activities during a possible COVID-19 wave (Iriscare, Belgium)

The document begins with a series of general principles on prevention and hygiene. It then includes different measures to be taken when faced with new positive cases in relation to external visits (both by family members and health personnel), the departure of residents, the sending and receiving of parcels, external suppliers, detection tests, etc.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) –Consignes aux maisons de repos et de soins agréées et subventionnées par la COCOM concernant des restrictions de visites et d’activités lors d’une éventuelle vague COVID-19. Bruxelles, Iriscare, 2020, 12 p.

Covid-19 - Between protection and autonomy: the principles of social and health care action in the face of crisis. Quick method of development in the framework of Covid-19

This document contains a number of contributions that will help to shed light on certain practices in times of crisis due to Covid-19. Insofar as the context weakens the balance between protection and maintenance of autonomy, it seemed appropriate to reflect on the fundamental principles that guide social and health care action.

Those contributions aim to:

Guarantee the direct expression of the person so that he or she can participate in decisions thanks to information by appropriate means (encourage the participatory approach).
Promote the participation of supported persons and the taking into account of their views in the measures, or even reorganisation projects, required for protection against the virus.
Guarantee protection without infringing on people’s rights.
Allow, at the heart of the crisis, a balance between protection and autonomy/self-determination.
Measuring the impact of movement restriction measures on those most in difficulty in order to adapt their contours.
Provide an adapted and personalised response for all over the long term.
To ensure the participation of the people supported in the new daily functioning of the structures throughout the crisis period.
To enable the continuity of social links and to fight against isolation.
Involve families and relatives in decisions relating to the development of the projects of supported persons.
Preserve the ethics of decision-making under the constraints of health security.

Haute Autorité de Santé, Covid-19 – Entre protection et autonomie : les principes de l’action sociale et médicosociale à l’épreuve de la crise. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 39 p.

COVID-19 and human rights concerns for older persons (AGE Platform Europe, Belgium)

This document aims to provide measures to ensure older persons’ human rights are met during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first place, they remind that everyone has a right to maintaining the highest attainable standard of health, regardless of their age. Following this, the document provides advice on ensuring social inclusion of older people in times of physical distance, and facilitating social, civil and economic participation. There is also a section on addressing discrimination, due to the rise of ageist comments in the media. Finally, the document provides measures for paying attention to the rights of people in vulnerable situations, such as older persons in institutions, who live alone or who receive care in the community.

COVID-19 and human rights concerns for older persons. Brussels, AGE Platform Europe, 2020, 33 p.

COVID-19 and people with disabilities in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Some people with disabilities might be at a higher risk of infection or severe illness because of their age, underlying medical conditions or their disability which could put them at greater risk of being exposed and acquiring the infection.

It is very important that those who work and live with those with disabilities are aware of the considerations needed during COVID-19 and this website provides them with a series of recommendations and information on the following subjects:

Protecting people with disabilities from COVID-19
COVID-19 assessment centres
Infection prevention and control measures and personal protective equipment
Mental health
COVID-19 disability advisory group (CDAG)

COVID-19 and people with disabilities in Canada. Ontario, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020, online.

COVID-19 Clinical management: living guidance (World Health Organization)

This document is the update of an interim guidance originally published under the title “Clinical management of COVID-19: interim guidance, 27 May 2020″ and it is intended for clinicians involved in the care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

The previous version provided recommendations that can be applied when caring for patients during the COVID-19 care pathway. This guideline now also includes Best Practice Statement on caring for COVID-19 patients after their acute illness and 5 new recommendations:

A conditional recommendation to use clinical judgment, including consideration of patients’ values and preferences and local and national policy if available, to guide management decisions including admission to hospital and to the intensive care unit (ICU), rather than currently available prediction models for prognosis (very low certainty).
A conditional recommendation for use of pulse oximetry monitoring at home as part of a package of care, including patient and provider education and appropriate follow-up in symptomatic patients with COVID-19 and risk factors for progression to severe disease who are not hospitalized (very low certainty).
A conditional recommendation for the use of awake prone positioning in patients with severe COVID-19 that are hospitalized requiring supplemental oxygen or non-invasive ventilation (low certainty).
A conditional recommendation to use thromboprophylaxis dosing of anticoagulation rather than intermediate or therapeutic dosing in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, without an established indication for higher dose of anticoagulation (very low certainty).
A conditional recommendation for the use of existing care bundles (defined as three or more evidence-informed practices delivered together and consistently to improve care) chosen locally by hospital or ICU and adapted as necessary for local circumstances in patients with critical COVID-19 (very low certainty).

COVID-19 Clinical management: living guidance. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2021, 81 p.

Covid-19 documents (Spanish Palliative Care Society)

This website compiles a variety of links on palliative care and COVID-19 in Spain, aimed mainly at healthcare and long term care staff, but also at friends and family of the person undergoing palliative care. A number of the documents deal with providing safe palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the topic most frequently addressed is protecting the mental and emotional wellbeing of carers, healthcare professionals and family/friends.

Documentos Covid-19. Madrid, Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos, 2020, online.

Covid-19 End of life of persons supported by a social or health care establishment or service. Rapid method of development in the framework of Covid-19 (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document was updated in December 2020 and January 2021. These updates are based on changes in the regulations, in particular with regard to the care of the bodies of deceased persons suffering or likely to suffer from Covid-19 at the time of their death; in particular, the presentation of the body of the deceased to the family and close friends as well as the mortuary toilet are once again authorised, under certain conditions.

The aim is to guide the professional action to allow the maximum respect of the wishes related to the end of life and a most human accompaniment possible of the person and the close relations.

Haute Autorité de Santé, Covid-19 Fin de vie des personnes accompagnées par un établissement ou service social ou médicosocial. Méthode rapide d’élaboration. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2021, 20 p.

Covid-19 FAQs for practitioners (version 22, 29th January 2021). Advice notes (Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland)

The Mental Welfare Commission has produced this advice note on mental health care and treatment related to Covid-19 for practitioners who are using the Mental Health Act and Adults with Incapacity Act when caring for patients.

The current pandemic is raising many questions, as practitioners face new challenges and dilemmas in a rapidly changing environment. The unprecedented circumstances and the risk to health mean that some individuals’ human rights may be restricted, and it is important that any restriction is carefully considered, legal and ethical. This advice addresses a range of issues.

Covid-19 FAQs for practitioners (version 22, 29th January 2021). Advice notes. Edinburgh, Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, 2021, 55 p.

COVID-19 Guidance for older people (HelpAge International, UK)

Help Age International has compiled a list of resources on COVID-19 and older people, which aim to serve as guidance. These resources touch on a broad array of issues regarding COVID-19 and older people, such as end of life care, care home management, pensions and more. These resources are provided in multiple languages.

COVID-19 Guidance for older people. London, HelpAge International, 2020, online.

COVID-19 Guidance for older people and others at risk of severe disease on reducing risk of COVID-19 infection. V1.0 11.10.2020 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

This guide recognises that older people and others at high risk from COVID-19 (extremely medically vulnerable people) have the right to make their own decisions and the responsibility to look after their own health and the health of others. The guide is also written to help family, friends and carers to help people who may need their support in making choices and in doing what they chose to do as safely as is practical. The guide is for people who live in the community and for those who help them if and when they need help.

It gives advice on the following subjects:

Making the home safe
Precautions to be taken by other members of the household
Keeping the risk as low as possible among the household
Access for people who do not live in the household
Bringing things into the house and keeping the house clean
When leaving home
Preventing harm from COVID-19

It also includes Appendix I with details on who is at especially high risk and Appendix II with contact details for HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams

COVID-19 Guidance for older people and others at risk of severe disease on reducing risk of COVID-19 infection. Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020, 13 p.

COVID-19 Guidance on visitations to Long Term Residential Care Facilities (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

This document provides guidance on visits to long-term care facilities as of October 1, 2020. On September 11th , the Government issued a Five Level Framework – Table of Public Health Restrictive Measures that includes visiting to long term residential care facilities (LTRCF).

This document specifies the visiting policy for each of the five levels for family and friends, with no ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and in the context of an outbreak of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Guidance on visitations to Long Term Residential Care Facilities. Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020, 13 p.

COVID-19 Guidance on visits to and from community housing units for people with disabilities. V1.0 19.10.2020 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

This document provides guidance on visits to long-term care facilities as of October 19, 2020. On September 11th , the Government issued a Five Level Framework – Table of Public Health Restrictive Measures that includes visiting to long term residential care facilities (LTRCF), where community housing units for people with disabilities are included.

The document specifies the visiting policy for these settings:

Own-door supported accommodation for individual or couples
Community Housing Units

And also gives a number of recommendations on the communication to be provided to residents regarding the visiting policy.

COVID-19 Guidance on visits to and from community housing units for people with disabilities. V1.0 19.10.2020. Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020, 8 p.

COVID-19 Guidance on visits to Long Term Residential Care Facilities (LTRCFs). V1.5 11.01.2021 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

The key elements of this guidance, which is under review, are the following:

Service providers will need to limit such critical and compassionate visiting to times when visiting can be effectively supported by available staff
Such visiting is subject to a risk assessment in each case
It is essential that the service providers engage with residents, involve them in decision making and communicate clearly with each resident and relevant others regarding visiting policy including any restrictions, the reasons for those restrictions and the expected duration of restrictions
Residents in LTRCFs and their right to have or refuse visitors

COVID-19 Guidance on visits to Long Term Residential Care Facilities (LTRCFs). V1.5 (11.01.2021). Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2021, 18 p.

COVID-19 guide for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities or autistic adults (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This document is a guide which aims to help care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities or autistic adults and during the COVID-19 crisis.

It has advice on a variety of topics: helping the person understand the pandemic, social distancing (and the exemptions that can be made for people with learning disabilities or autistic people), maintaining relationships, staying well (which includes advice on hygiene, managing symptoms, personal assistants and more), healthcare, advance care planning, the CARE act, safeguarding (including the six key principles of safeguarding and detection of abuse) and death and bereavement.

The guide also has a number of links to easy read guides about the pandemic, aimed at helping people with learning disabilities and autistic people understand the current situation.

COVID-19 guide for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities or autistic adults. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

COVID-19 guide for carers and family supporting adults and children with learning disabilities or autistic adults and children (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This document is a guide which aims to help carers and family supporting adults and children with learning disabilities or autistic adults and children during the COVID-19 crisis.

It has advice on a variety of topics: helping the person understand the pandemic, social distancing (and the exemptions that can be made for people with learning disabilities or autistic people), maintaining relationships, children and young people (namely the closing of schools and EHC plans), staying well (which includes advice on hygiene, managing symptoms, personal assistants and more), healthcare, advance care planning, the CARE act, safeguarding (including the six key principles of safeguarding and detection of abuse) and death and bereavement.

The guide also has a number of links to easy read guides about the pandemic, aimed at helping people with learning disabilities and autistic people understand the current situation.

COVID-19 guide for carers and family supporting adults and children with learning disabilities or autistic adults and children. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

COVID-19 Incident or outbreak control tool for social or community care or residential settings (Health Protection Scotland)

This document is a tool aimed at enabling early detection and management of COVID-19 outbreaks in residential centres in Scotland. It defines some key terms and lists the responsibilities the various staff members should have in the event of an outbreak. It also contains a Situation Assessment form aimed at documenting the daily evolution of the outbreak which should be shared with the local Health Protection Team. Furthermore, it contains an Immediate Infection Prevention and Control Checklist, which defines what to do in the event of an outbreak, and a COVID-19 Daily Actions Checklist.

COVID-19 Incident or outbreak control tool for social or community care or residential settings. Glasgow, Health Protection Scotland, 2020, 9 p.

COVID-19 infection control training (Department of Health, Australia)

COVID-19 infection control online training is available for health care workers in all settings. It covers the fundamentals of infection prevention and control for COVID-19. This training is for care workers across all health care settings.

Modules available include:

Infection prevention and control for COVID-19.
Training for aged care workers.
Training focused on rural and remote communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

COVID-19 infection control training. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 20 p.

COVID-19 infection prevention and control : communication toolkit for long-term care facilities (World Health Organization)

Long-term care (?LTC)? facility populations are at high risk of being affected by COVID-19. Strong infection prevention and control (?IPC)? programmes are critical to protect staff, residents and visitors. This communication toolkit contains a series of simplified messages and reminders based on WHO’s technical guidance on infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19. This toolkit is intended for LTC facilities management and staff to support with strengthening IPC practices.

Regional Office for the Western Pacific. COVID-19 infection prevention and control : communication toolkit for long-term care facilities. Manila, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2020, 14 p.

COVID-19 infection prevention and control : preparedness checklist for long-term care facilities (World Health Organization)

COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care (?LTC)? facilities can have devastating effects on the health and well-being of residents, as they are vulnerable to serious infection due to their age and possible underlying medical conditions. Strengthening infection prevention and control (?IPC)? practice is crucial to prevent spread of COVID-19.

This preparedness checklist consists of several elements that are crucial for preparing LTCF for COVID-19. It can be used by facility administrators, IPC focal points or staff, internal or external professionals.

Regional Office for the Western Pacific. COVID-19 infection prevention and control : preparedness checklist for long-term care facilities. Manila, World Health Organization, 2020, 7 p.

COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for Residential Care Facilities (Department of Health, Australia)

This document, developed by the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) and endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, provides guidance on infection prevention and control (IPC), including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), in residential care facilities (RCFs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for Residential Care Facilities. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 10 p.

Covid-19 Infection prevention and control guidance for family and friends (informal carers) who support people in their own homes. V1.0, 14.12.2020 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

This guidance has been developed to help carers and people who are cared for on how to protect each other from Covid-19. It is also intended to help healthcare workers who advise people who provide care about how to keep safe from infection.

Covid-19 Infection prevention and control guidance for family and friends (informal carers) who support people in their own homes (V1.0, 14.12.2020). Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020, 9 p.

COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidance for health and social care workers who visit homes to deliver healthcare. V2.2 21.09.2020 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

This guidance has been developed to support community based healthcare workers to take the best possible Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures to protect both the vulnerable people they care for and themselves from acquiring COVID-19. The guidance is also relevant to those who plan for and manage the delivery of these services (managers and co-ordinators) and gives them advice on the planning for delivery of healthcare/personal care in the home, including the references to many training materials that can be used to support staff education and training.

The guide includes recommendations on how to prepare the visit and how to act during and after the visit. Il also includes information on hand and respiratory hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), uniforms/ personal clothing of healthcare workers, household hygiene, laundry and equipment.

There is a section dedicated to the requirements to be met for planned home visits to a patient with suspect or confirmed COVID-19, which includes guidance on completion of National New born Bloodspot Screening.

COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidance for health and social care workers who visit homes to deliver healthcare. V2.2 21.09.2020. Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020, 21 p.

COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings (NHS England)

This standard operating procedure (SOP) applies to all providers who have been contracted to provide local vaccination services in community settings including at NHS sites (GP Practices, Community Pharmacies), non-NHS sites, care homes, and patients’ own homes. All NHS and non-NHS sites providing vaccination will have been ‘designated’ via a Commissioner-led site assessment process.

COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings. London, NHS England, 2020, 42 p.

Covid-19 vaccination decision guide for frail older people, including those in residential aged care facilities (Department of Health, Australia)

This decision guide is to help a person who is frail or very old, including those living in residential aged care facilities (and their substitute decision maker), make an informed decision about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

It mentions the risks of the Covid-19 disease in older people and provides information on Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer), the benefits of getting it and its side effects.

Covid-19 vaccination decision guide for frail older people, including those in residential aged care facilities. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, 4 p.

COVID-19 vaccination: a guide for social care staff (Public Health England)

Frontline workers working in social care are more likely to be exposed to Covid-19 at work. Health care workers and those working in social care (particularly in care homes) are at much higher risk of repeated exposure to the infection.

This website provides them with detailed information about the importance of getting the vaccination, the protection if offers, the side effects, how to act after vaccination, etc.

COVID-19 vaccination: a guide for social care staff. London, Public Health England, 2021, online.

COVID-19 vaccine country readiness and delivery (World Health Organization)

WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and partners are working together to help prepare countries to be ready to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine. Adaptable guidance, tools, trainings, and advocacy materials are being developed to support countries in preparing for COVID-19 vaccination. Please visit this page regularly for updates.

COVID-19 vaccine country readiness and delivery. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2021, online.

Covid-19 vaccine healthcare worker leaflet (Public Health Scotland, UK)

This brochure informs healtcare workers about the convenience of vaccination as a form of protection against Covid-19. It explains why vaccination is important, its efficacy, how it is to be administered, as well as possible adverse effects.

Covid-19 vaccine healthcare worker leaflet. Edinburgh, Public Health Scotland, 2021, 12 p.

Covid-19 vaccine information for people with learning disabilities (NHS-National Health Service, UK)

This website has gathered all the information people with learning disabilities need about the coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine, including easy read guides and how they can make sure they are on their General Practitioner’s learning disability register.

Covid-19 vaccine information for people with learning disabilities. London, NHS-National Health Service, 2021, online.

COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction Readiness Assessment Tool (VIRAT/VRAF 2.0) - Version 3 December 2020 (World Health Organization)

This Readiness Assessment tool is a national level tool. Data inputs should be entered into the worksheet ‘National Readiness’. Suggestions for timing and intervals to implement activities and assess progress are provided in the timeline. Pre-planning activities should be initiated as early as Sept 2020 (earliest time interval provided) as COVID-19 vaccines may be available for introduction by early 2021. The tool will be updated as soon as more certainty about global vaccine supply availability becomes available.

COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction Readiness Assessment Tool (VIRAT/VRAF 2.0) – Version 3 December 2020. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2021, online.

Covid-19 Vaccine preparedness resources for long-term care and retirement homes (Healthcare Excellence Canada)

These resources have been curated with immunization experts from across the country, including Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Solutions for Kids in Pain and #SeePainMoreClearly. These resources aim to help LTC and retirement homes plan and rollout COVID-19 vaccines to residents, staff and essential care partners,and support informed choices about the COVID-19 vaccine.

There are four main sections:

Section 1: Planning guidance for immunization clinics
Section 2: Characteristics, handling and administration of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines
Section 3: Promoting COVID-19 vaccine uptake
Section 4: Improve the vaccine experience by reducing pain, anxiety and/or needle fears

Covid-19 Vaccine preparedness resources for long-term care and retirement homes. Ottawa, Healthcare Excellence Canada, 2021, online.

Covid-19 Vaccine Programme. Communications toolkit to support vaccine uptake in adult social care (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This document contains many resources to encourage and reassure staff of the adult social care sector about having the Covid-19 vaccine. This toolkit is updated regularly as new resources become available. Highlighted in yellow are the latest materials.

Covid-19 Vaccine Programme. Communications toolkit to support vaccine uptake in adult social care. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2021, 8 p.

Covid-19 vaccine social care worker leaflet (Public Health Scotland, UK)

This brochure informs social care workers about the convenience of vaccination as a form of protection against Covid-19. It explains why vaccination is important, its efficacy, how it is to be administered, as well as possible adverse effects.

Covid-19 vaccine social care worker leaflet. Edinburgh, Public Health Scotland, 2021, 12 p.

Covid-19 vaccines for long-term care facility residents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This website provides information on vaccination for residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs), as they are at increased risk of infection and severe illness from Covid-19 and all of them are recommended to get vaccinated against COVID-19. It contains information on:

Tips for how to get a Covid-19 vaccine
Information about Covid-19 vaccines for LTCF residents and family members

Covid-19 vaccines for long-term care facility residents. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Covid-19 – Other support and programme initiatives for Commonwealth Home Support Programme providers (Department of Health, Australia)

This fact sheet includes information about the support available to Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers during the COVID-19 pandemic on these topics:

What information is available to support CHSP providers?
Are there any resources available for CHSP providers experiencing workforce shortages?
Are there resources to help CHSP meals providers increase meals production and distribution?
Are CHSP providers eligible for the COVID-19 workforce retention bonus?
How can I access personal protective equipment (PPE) for my workforce?
What if I have concern about my client’s mental health during the pandemic?
Can CHSP providers use client funds to purchase personal or home monitoring devices?

Covid-19 – Other support and programme initiatives for Commonwealth Home Support Programme providers. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, 5 p.

COVID-19-EPIDEMIC : The role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) – a rapid review (Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

This rapid review aims to shed light on the role of children in the transmission of COVID-19.

The review concludes that children are being infected by the virus, and they are a relatively small proportion of all registered cases testing positive (4% in Norway, 2% in China and 5.2% in South Korea). However, the author clarifies that this does not mean that children have a lower rate of infection, but that since adults become ill more often than children, it leads to more adults being tested and this contributes to finding a greater number of positives among adults.

Furthermore, the review states that children do get ill, but they tend to be less severely affected than adults, experiencing mild or moderately serious illness or no symptoms at all. Some children, however may also be severely affected, namely those with underlying conditions. Following this, the review aims to reach a conclusion on whether children transmit the infection, and if so, to whom. However, there are a number of reasons why a conclusive answer cannot be reached. Therefore, even if the evidence points to children not representing a major vector for transmissions, the picture may change when more comprehensive data is obtained.

Finally, the review aims to state the measurable effects of the school/kindergarten closures during the epidemic, but the authors have not found any research reports on the topic, only a few systematic reviews based on studies done in connection with influenza epidemics.

The authors state the possibility of these reviews not being relevant as it is quite possible that children play a small role in transmitting the COVID-19, the opposite of the influenza virus.

COVID-19-EPIDEMIC : The role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) – a rapid review. Oslo, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 2020, 14 p.

Covid-19. Barrier measures and the quality of the link in the social and health care sectors (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

The ability of people to understand and implement preventive and barrier measures is essential for their health and for the safety of the professionals working with them. It is therefore necessary to guide the practices of professionals in order to adapt the environment and promote the learning and application of barrier measures, particularly with people with cognitive and psychological disorders, while ensuring that the quality of the social link is maintained and that people’s resources and skills are continuously mobilised.

This contribution is intended to identify points of vigilance and to propose benchmarks for professionals in adapting their practices to the effects of this pandemic. It concerns all groups of people accommodated or supported by social and health care establishments and services covered by the social action and family code (people with disabilities, elderly people, children and adolescents under child protection, people in social difficulty, people with addictions, migrants, etc.).

Haute Autorité de Santé, Covid-19. Les mesures barrières et la qualité du lien dans le secteur social et médico-social. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 25 p.

Covid-19. Interim public health, infection prevention & control guidelines on the prevention and management of Covid-19 cases and outbreaks in residential care facilities. V6.3 01.03.21 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Ireland)

Managing the risk of Covid-19 can be thought of as three elements:

The first is to take all practical measures to reduce unintended introduction of the virus into the residential care facility. If the virus is not introduced by a person with infection, then it cannot spread.
Even when all practical precautions are taken it is still possible that the virus will be introduced unintentionally therefore the second element is to take all practical measures to reduce the risk of the virus spreading if introduced.
The third element is having processes in place to minimise the risk of harm to residents and staff if both other elements fail and the virus is introduced and spreads.

This guideline addresses measures needed to achieve all of the above elements.

Covid-19. Interim public health, infection prevention & control guidelines on the prevention and management of Covid-19 cases and outbreaks in residential care facilities (V6.3 01.03.21). Dublin, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2021, 76 p.

Covid-19. Organizational and human resources measures in the field of the Domiciliary Care Service (The Government of the Province of Barcelona, Spain)

This website offers links to a series of documents on domiciliary long term care in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. These are technical and legal documents about organizational and HR measures for carers in Catalonia.

Covid-19. Mesures organitzatives i de RH en l’àmbit del SAD. Barcelona, Xarxa Local de Serveis Socials d´Atenció Domiciliària de la Diputació de Barcelona, 2020, online.

Covid-19. Palliative Care Toolkit (Scottish Government)

This palliative care toolkit provides health and social care planners and healthcare professionals with a range of options and tools to help them to identify appropriate and effective measures to improve access to supportive and palliative care medicines across different health and social care settings.

The toolkit comprises the following four sections:

Section one: palliative care contingency planning overview;
Section two: strengthening Primary Care in-hours and out-of-hours;
Section three: discharge from an Emergency Department;
Section four: providing medicines to care homes

Underpinning each of these sections are appendices which provide existing exemplar guidance documents and templates that a number of Health Boards have developed and agreed to share.

Covid-19. Palliative Care Toolkit. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2020, 90 p.

Covid-19. Protocols for accompaniment and dignified death (Derecho a Morir Dignamente, Spain)

This website compiles the various end of life and dignified death protocols that have been put in place around Spain in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The aim of this is to make the public aware of the dignified death proceedings in their region, and to document the regions that have not yet set said proceedings up. There are two lists of resources: the first is a list of end of life care protocols, and the second is a list of declarations and suggestions by various associations.

Covid-19. Protocolos para el acompañamiento y la muerte digna. Madrid, Derecho a Morir Dignamente, 2020, online.

COVID-19: guidance for supported living (Department of Health & Social Care and Public Health England, UK)

This guidance is designed to update and build on the previous advice to supported living providers, which was withdrawn on 13 May 2020. It sets out:

key messages to assist with planning and preparation in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic so that local procedures can be put in place to minimise risk and provide the best possible support to people in supported living settings. These local procedures may need to be updated to reflect changes in government guidance and advice as the pandemic response changes
safe systems of working, including social distancing, respiratory and hand hygiene and enhanced cleaning
how infection prevention and control (IPC) and personal protective equipment (PPE)applies to supported living settings

Although it is primarily intended for the managers, care and support workers, and other staff in supported living settings, it is also relevant to local authorities, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), primary care networks (PCNs), and community health services.

COVID-19: guidance for supported living. London, Department of Health & Social Care and Public Health England, 2020, online.

COVID-19: how to work safely in care homes (Public Health England)

Guidance for those working in care homes providing information on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19.

These instruction sheets provide advice to those working in care homes on how to work safely during this period of sustained transmission of COVID-19.

The guidance includes:

PPE recommendations for care home staff
frequently asked questions on the use of PPE in care homes
examples which help to identify the correct use of PPE when undertaking activities that require physical contact or activities which do not require physical contact but are carried out in close proximity to residents
guide to putting on PPE for care homes
guide to taking off PPE for care homes

How to work safely in care homes. London, Public Health England, 2020, online.

COVID-19: how to work safely in domiciliary care in England (Public Health England)

This resource provides guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for care workers delivering homecare (domiciliary care) during sustained COVID-19 transmission in the UK. It explains how PPE guidance applies to the homecare (domiciliary care) setting.

This resource is primarily for care workers and providers delivering care in the following contexts: visiting homecare, extra care housing, and live-in homecare.

There are guides for:

putting on PPE for home carers
taking off PPE for home carers

COVID-19: how to work safely in domiciliary care in England. London, Public Health England, 2020, online.

COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Care Home Settings (Public Health Scotland)

This guidance is to support those working in care home settings to give advice to their staff and users of their services about COVID-19. It should be used for care home settings including nursing homes and residential care where appropriate.

This guidance is based on what is currently known about COVID-19. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) (now part of Public Health Scotland) will update this guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

It contents measures to prevent spread of COVID-19 and to protect residents and staff.

COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Care Home Settings. Version 1.2. Public Health Scotland, National Services Scotland, Glasgow, 2020, 26 p.

COVID-19: Information and guidance for social, community and residential care settings (excluding adult and older people care home settings) Version 1.7 (Health Protection Scotland, UK)

This guidance is to support those working in Social, Community and Residential Care settings to give advice to their staff and users of their services about COVID-19. Social, community and residential care settings is taken to include:

Community based settings for people with mental health needs
Community based settings for people with a learning disability
Community based settings for people who misuse substances
Supported accommodation settings
Rehabilitation services
Residential children’s homes
Stand alone residential respite for adults (settings not registered as care homes)
Stand alone residential respite/short breaks services for children
Sheltered housing
Hospice settings
Prison and detention settings
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the Minister for Children and Young People have confirmed in a letter dated 23 September 2020 that dedicated stand alone residential respite facilities for children (including those registered as care homes) should now follow the guidance set out in this document and do not need to follow COVID-19 Guidance and Information for Care Home Settings. All other registered care homes for adults and older people should continue to follow COVID-19 Guidance and Information for Care Home Settings which includes guidance on testing in care homes.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport has confirmed in a letter dated 12 October 2020 that stand-alone residential respite facilities for adults (settings registered as care homes) should continue to follow the COVID-19 Guidance and Information for Care Home Settings, with particular arrangements for respite admissions to these settings as described in the 23 September letter and reflected in the Scottish Government guidance 6 on Implementing the staged approach to enhancing wellbeing activities and visits in care homes, including communal living.
For domiciliary care, please see separate COVID-19: Guidance for Domiciliary Care.

COVID-19: Information and guidance for social, community and residential care settings (excluding adult and older people care home settings) Version 1.7 (31st December 2020). Glasgow, Health Protection Scotland, 2020, 43 p.

COVID-19: Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in care homes for older people (British Geriatrics Society)

This document is a good practice guide to help care home staff manage the COVID-19 pandemic in care homes.

Firstly, it offers a list of key recommendations on a variety of topics, including training of staff, material, treatments, communication with other healthcare professionals, management of the care home, etcetera. Secondly, it offers a quick guide on identifying residents who may have COVID-19, how to respond, and the organizational changes care homes should make in order to make detection and response easier and more efficient. Thirdly, it gives advice on isolation residents, especially considering those residents who “walk with purpose”, and explains the challenges of asking residents to stay in their room and ban them from shared spaces. There is also a section on advance care planning in the context of the pandemic, and another one specifically on how decisions about escalation of care to hospital should be taken. Finally, this document contains a section on supporting care home residents and staff, namely through the national COVID-19 online care home community, led by Anita Astle.

COVID-19: Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in care homes for older people. London, British Geriatrics Society, 2020, online.

COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This document details the action plan for adult social care designed by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care in the face of COVID-19.

Firstly, it gives guidelines on controlling the spread of infection in care settings, explaining how to keep care settings safe, PPE, outbreaks and discharge from the NHS to social care settings. Secondly, it explains how to best support the workforce. For this, it describes how to ensure there is enough staff, how to support their security and wellbeing, how to use technology to support social care and quality of life, and offers appreciation for social care staff. Thirdly, it illustrates how to support independence, people at the end of their lives and those with individual needs. Finally, it explains how to support local authorities and the providers of care. For this, it mentions the new social care funding plan, collaboration across services, local and national oversight, emergency monitoring, explains the various monitoring tools that have been put in place and describes how to prioritise duties and needs using CARE’s Ethical Framework.

COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2020, 34 p.

COVID-19: Tips for people living with dementia (Dementia Australia)

Dementia Australia, registered non-profit charity and a member of Alzheimer’s Disease International, shares COVID-19 related tips for people living with dementia. These tips include practicing proper hygiene, being mindful of COVID-19, having a supporting network. There are also ideas for ways how to spend time in self-isolation.

The website includes help sheets with Tips for Carers, Families and Friends of People Living with Dementia, Residential aged care providers, Home care providers and for People Living with Dementia.

COVID-19: Tips for people living with dementia. Canberra, Dementia Australia, 2020, 4 p.

Covid19-Modalities applicable in the Walloon care homes (Ministry of Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights, Belgium)

This is a circular to directors of care homes. Each resident, each person working in the resident’s accommodation or each visitor is obliged to follow the measures adopted by the federal authorities. The circular reminds the six golden rules, which are instructions and not advice, they must so be respected by everyone.

Morreale, C. Covid19 – Modalités applicables dans les Résidences-services
wallonnes. Jambes, Ministère de l’Emploi, de la Formation, de la Santé, de l’Action Sociale, de l’Égalité des Chances et des Droits des Femmes, 2020, 2 p.

Daylight. A digital, science-backed anxiety improvement programme (NHS Education for Scotland)

Daylight is a digital, science-backed anxiety improvement programme, aimed at health and social care staff and unpaid carers, to help them control feelings of worry and anxiety, using proven evidence-based techniques.

National Wellbeing Hub, Daylight. A digital, science-backed anxiety improvement programme. Edinburgh, NHS Education for Scotland, 2021, online

Delivering bad news (The Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland)

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, there may be situations where healthcare workers have to deliver bad news to a person and their family. How they communicate the news is really important. This video will provide them with guidance on how to deliver this type of news well.

Delivering bad news. Dublin, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 2021, online.

Delivering safe, face-to-face adult day care (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This guide is about face-to-face adult day care provision in England. It aims to support day care managers, social workers, commissioners and providers, to restart or continue activities. It is focused on community-based day services, day centres (with and without personal care), including specialised day centre environments, and those with outdoor spaces.

The guide will also be relevant for people who have a direct payment from their local authority to purchase services, their carers and families, helping to make clear what to expect from services and the local authority.

Delivering safe, face-to-face adult day care. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2021, 30 p.

Dementia care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (Care Inspectorate, UK)

The Care Inspectorate have published this resource for care services to support them when caring for people living with dementia. It provides with many information and useful links concerning those topics:

Hand hygiene
Shielding
Isolation
Social distancing
Testing
Considerations for communicating when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE)
Visiting restrictions
Keeping families and residents in touch with each other when visiting is restricted
The use of psychoactive medication as part of seclusion or isolation

Dementia care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Dundee, Care Inspectorate, 2020, 11 p.

Dementia in care homes and COVID-19. Supporting residents, supporting carers, supporting homes (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This quick guide from the Social Care Insitute of Excellence will be useful for carers in care homes supporting residents living with dementia during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It will discuss four clinical situations that may help to illustrate some challenges. These include: – Understanding signs of COVID-19 – Helping residents with confusion – Managing behavioural challenges – Supporting residents with end-of-life care

Dementia in care homes and COVID-19. Supporting residents, supporting carers, supporting homes. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak (World Health Organization)

This document offers some guidelines for disabled people and their families, carers and employers in regards to the COVID-19 crisis and disability.

To begin with, it explains why people with disabilities need specific measures to face this pandemic, and lists some ways in which they could be more vulnerable during this crisis. Following this, it offers a list of measures that people with disabilities and people in their household should take during this crisis. These include measures to:

Reduce exposure to COVID-19
Make sure that support is continued
Prepare household members in case the person with disability contracts the illness
Protect the health of household members

Subsequently, there is a list of measures governments should take to make sure that public health information and communication are accessible, and that people with disabilities and their carers get support. Furthermore, it lists measures that healthcare professionals should take in order for people with disabilities to safely access healthcare. There is also a list of measures directed towards carers, both professional and informal, to make sure their care is continued and safe. Finally, there are some measures for the community at large, including the general public, employers, business owners and friends/family.

Consideraciones relativas a la discapacidad durante el brote de COVID-19. Ginebra, Organización Mundial de la Salud, 2020, 14 p.

Do not do in vaccines against Covid-19 (Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine)

This brief guide deals specifically with those procedures that should not be carried out in connection with the vaccination protocol against SARS-CoV2, the cause of COVID-19. It gathers 13 recommendations of the so-called “Don’ts” and solves common doubts that health professionals involved in the vaccination process may have about particular cases that usually occur among people who have to be vaccinated. Some of these questions are: how to proceed with people in quarantine because they are in close contact with a sick person; what happens when the intervals between doses are longer than recommended; or what is the indication for the possibility of exchanging several vaccines to complete the vaccination schedule.

Grupo de Prevención de Enfermedades Infecciosas del PAPPS-semFYC. No hacer en vacunas contra la Covid-19. Madrid, Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, 2021, 12 p.

EasyRead Information. A guide to your Covid-19 vaccination (Public Health England)

This is an easyread guide with information and advice about coronavirus COVID-19 and vaccinations, both for the general public and for those groups that are most vulnerable to the disease.

EasyRead Information. A guide to your Covid-19 vaccination. London, Public Health England, 2021, 8 p.

Employers and directors of establishments or services for elderly and disabled people. Information on how to deal with professionals and the public (families and people welcomed) in the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This is a guideline for care home staff on handling the COVID-19 epidemic. It touches on the activation and management of emergency plans (plans bleus), prevention and protection measures, identification of COVID-19 cases and finally care and management of said cases. It answers frequently asked questions on these topics.

Employeurs et directeurs d’établissements ou services accueillant des personnes âgées et handicapées. Informations sur la conduite à tenir envers les professionnels et publics (familles et personnes accueillies) en phase épidémique de coronavirus COVID-19. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 9 p.

Employers and directors of establishments or services for elderly and disabled people. Information on the conduct to be followed by professionals relating to the care of the body of a deceased patient infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document gives instructions to care home staff on handling the bodies of people infected with COVID-19. It explains the conditions under which the deceased person’s family can visit them, and gives instructions to handle the body when the person passed away in a care home bedroom.

Employeurs et directeurs d’établissements ou services accueillant des personnes âgées et handicapées. Informations sur la conduite à tenir par les professionnels relatifs à la prise en charge du corps d’un patient décédé infecté par le virus SARS-CoV-2. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 4 p.

Environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for health and residential care facilities (Department of Health, Australia)

This is an information sheet with guidance about environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for health and residential care facilities for coronavirus (COVID-19). It contains detailed information about the following subjetcs: routine environmental cleaning in health and residential care settings, cleaning in communal staff, public and patient/resident support areas, correct desinfection and hand hygiene, terminal cleaning of rooms of patients/residents known to have COVID-19, etc.

Environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for health and residential care facilities. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 10 p.

Ethical and clinical recommendations for decision-making in the residential environment in the context of the Covid-19 crisis (UVic-UCC University, Spain)

This document is a tool which aims to help in clinical and ethical decision-making in a context of crisis and limited resources. This tool is in the format of a table and contains important questions and issues to take into account when making decisions about a patient, aimed towards the patient, their family, the staff team and other resources.

Recomendaciones éticas y clínicas para la toma de decisiones en el entorno residencial en contexto de la crisis de Covid-19. Vic, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya, 2020, online.

Ethical guidance for people who work in long-term care: What is the right thing to do in a pandemic? (University of Toronto and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Canada)

This is an ethical guidance tool to help healthcare workers think through ethically complex situations, with a focus on the need for quarantine and isolation. The tool has been written in plain English to improve its accessibility to all healthcare workers. It has been designed to be as practical as possible by including two worksheets to help people apply the principles in the document.

The first worksheet is designed to help guide the development of a person-centred isolation care plan for someone with dementia.

The second worksheet is a decision-making tool to help people work through an ethical decision-making process.

It is hoped that this tool will support the resilience of people working in long term care; to provide them with the ethical guidance needed for them to continue to act with courage to support each other and their residents through the difficult months ahead.

Ethical guidance for people who work in long-term care: What is the right thing to do in a pandemic?. Toronto, University of Toronto and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, 2020, 14 p.

Facing Covid-19 in a nursing home (Belgian Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, Belgium)

This micro-learning includes non-exhaustive recommendations from the Belgian Red Cross (BRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on behaviours and measures to adopt in the context of COVID-19 in nursing homes. The main subjects are:

General precautions for staff in nursing homes
Entrance to the nursing home
Precautions in the establishment
Maintenance precautions in an isolation room
Precautions during care
Psycho-social support

Faire face au covid 19 en maison de repos. Bruxelles, Croix-Rouge de Belgique et Médecins Sans Frontières, 2020, online.

Families and residents on restricted visits to residential aged care facilities (Department of Health, Australia)

To protect older Australians living in residential aged care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governments have put restrictions on visits. This fact sheet aims to explain, to families and residents, these restrictions and the reasons behind them.

Families and residents on restricted visits to residential aged care facilities. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 6 p.

Feeling good. Free audio programme to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and improve sleep (NHS Education for Scotland)

Feeling Good is a free audio programm based on scientific research, aimed at health and social care staff and unpaid carers, that combines relaxation with sports coaching to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and improve sleep by building resilience and developing positive feelings.

National Wellbeing Hub, Feeling good. Edinburgh, NHS Education for Scotland, 2021, online.

Finding the Right Balance: An Evidence-Informed Guidance Document to Support the Re-Opening of Canadian Long-Term Care Homes to Family Caregivers and Visitors during the COVID-19 Pandemic (National Institute on Ageing, Canada)

During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian long-term care homes implemented strict no-visitor policies to reduce the risk of introducing COVID-19 in these settings. There are now concerns that the risks associated with restricted access to family caregivers and visitors have started to outweigh the potential benefits associated with preventing COVID-19 infections. Many residents have sustained severe and potentially irreversible physical, functional, cognitive, and mental health declines. As Canada emerges from its first wave of the pandemic, LTC homes across the country have cautiously started to reopen these settings, yet there is broad criticism that emerging visitor policies are overly restrictive, inequitable and potentially harmful.

The National Institute on Ageing reviewed the emerging LTC home visitor policies for Canada’s ten provinces and three territories as well as international policies and reports on the topic to develop? National Institute on Ageing ?guidance for the re-opening of Canadian LTC homes to family caregivers and visitors. This guidance? is evidence-informed and data-driven, and ?strives to find the right balance between infection prevention and supporting resident health and wellbeing?. It describes six core principles and planning assumptions ?which were used to create recommended and expert-reviewed visitor policies for family caregivers and general visitors to LTC homes.

Finding the Right Balance: An Evidence-Informed Guidance Document to Support the Re-Opening of Canadian Long-Term Care Homes to Family Caregivers and Visitors during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Toronto, National Institute on Ageing, 2020, 32 p.)

Frontline best practice for supporting residents in care homes with COVID-19 (Scottish Government, UK)

The aim of this video is to provide a remainder for frontline staff working in care homes about the key aspects of recognition, management and risk reduction and it highlights the wider help which is available.

Frontline best practice for supporting residents in care homes with COVID-19. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, online.

Future Learn (Open University)

Future Learn offers a diverse selection of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life. Future Learn is a private company jointly owned by The Open University and The SEEK Group. The Open University have 50 years of experience in distance learning and online education.

Using Future Learn

Pick a course

Browse our course list to find something that you’d like to learn about. We have courses in a diverse range of subjects and are always adding more. Courses vary in length. Most are six to ten weeks long but we also have some shorter two and three week courses.

Perhaps you might want to invite a friend to take part with you? You can do this via email and social media when you join.

Learn for free, upgrade, or buy Unlimited

You can choose how you learn on our online short courses. Here’s the difference between learning for free, upgrading, and buying Unlimited:

Free:
- Access to the course for its duration + 14 days, regardless of when you join.
Upgrade:
- Access to the course for as long as it exists on FutureLearn.
- Access to course tests if there are any.
- A printed and digital Certificate of Achievement or Statement of Participation when you’re eligible.
Unlimited:
- Access to your choice of hundreds of online short courses and tests for a year.
- A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once you’re eligible.
- The freedom to keep the content of any of the courses you’ve gained a digital Certificate of Achievement on.
- The flexibility to complete your short courses in your own time within a year.

At present, it offers the following courses relating to covid: https://www.futurelearn.com/search?q=covid

Future Learn. Milton Keynes, The Open University, 2020, online.

Getting back towards normal visiting in nursing homes: Information for residents and visitors (Health Service Executive, Ireland)

Visiting in nursing homes and other residential care facilities is very important to the health and wellbeing of residents and their families and friends. We are now looking to get back towards normal visiting in those nursing homes where most people have vaccine protection. This leaflet gives information for residents and visitors about enjoying visits in a way that keeps the risk of COVID-19 as low as possible.

Getting back towards normal visiting in nursing homes: Information for residents and visitors. Dublin, Health Service Executive, 2021, 3 p.

Guidance for COVID-19 in Nurse Led Residential Care Services for people with Disabilities (Ireland's Health Services)

This guidance is intended for healthcare professionals, healthcare workers and managers delivering care in residential settings for those with disabilities where the main model of care delivery is nurse-led. It contains information about the following subjects:

General measures to reduce the risk of accidental introduction of COVID-19 to a client/service user
General advice regarding service users/clients suspected or infected during COVID-19 epidemic in a disability setting
Procedures to be applied when a resident presents as clinically suspect for COVID-19 status
Common Symptoms and Signs indicative of possible COVID-19 illness
Clinical Investigations supporting diagnosis of COVID-19
Clinical Monitoring and management of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 status in a nurse-led residential service
Decision algorithm in regards to escalation reflecting anticipatory guidance (if appropriate)
Infection Prevention and Control Measures

Guidance for COVID-19 in Nurse Led Residential Care Services for people with Disabilities. Dublin, Ireland’s Health Services, 2020, 20 p.

Guidance for direct service providers for people with disabilities. What do they need to know about COVID-19? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

Direct Service Providers (DSPs) are essential for the health and well-being of the people they serve and they should be aware of how the Covid-19 spreads, risk factors, and prevention actions.

This website includes commonly asked questions that DSPs have about caring for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic:

How can I protect myself and the people I work with?
What if my client or someone they live with has been exposed to COVID-19, has symptoms of COVID-19, or tests positive for COVID-19?
What if I become sick or am exposed to someone who has COVID-19?
Are my clients at increased risk for becoming infected or having severe illness from COVID-19?
How can I cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Guidance for direct service providers for people with disabilities. What do they need to know about COVID-19?. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, online.

Guidance for effective communication in long-term care facilities for older adults in pandemic settings (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

This guide seeks to provide guidance in promoting an effective communication between care homes, work teams, the families of the residents and the older people who live there, allowing, despite the required physical distance as health control, keep the residence linked to the community, and the resident seniors linked to their networks and families.

The guide is addressed to the professional and technical team of the residence, in order to provide guidance to enable, through proposals, a fluid dialogue and open door policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guía para una comunicación efectiva en ELEAMs en contextos de pandemia. Santiago, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia (SENAMA), 2020, 11 p.

Guidance for Group Homes for individuals with disabilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

In congregate living settings, several factors may facilitate the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Some of these factors include residents employed outside the home, residents who require close contact with staff or Direct Service Providers, residents who have trouble understanding information or practicing preventive measures, and residents in shared living spaces. In addition, GH residents who have underlying medical conditions may be at risk of serious illness with COVID-19.

This guide offers useful advice to administrators and staff of Group Homes concerning many topics:

Communication to staff and residents
Guidance for Direct Service Providers
Screening
Medical care
Visits
Managing stress and anxiety
What to do if a resident has been exposed to Covid-19, has symptoms, or tests positive

Guidance for Group Homes for individuals with disabilities. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Guidance for Managers and Decision Makers in Supporting Care Home Workers during COVID-19 (COVID Trauma Response Working Group). (University College London, UK)

This document is a Guidance for Managers and Decision Makers in Supporting Care Home Workers during COVID-19.

It highlights the unique challenges care workers face during the COVID-19 crisis and following this it lists some ways in which managers and decision makers can support care workers in a number of contexts. Finally, there is a short list of helpful resources.

Guidance for Managers and Decision Makers in Supporting Care Home Workers during COVID-19 (COVID Trauma Response Working Group). London, University College London, 2020, 3 p.

Guidance for those under 25 who provide care for someone (Department of Health and Social Care, UK)

This guidance is for young carers and young adult carers. It will also be helpful for those who provide services to support young people who provide care (also referred to as young carers or young adult carers). The information and advice provided here is designed to help young carers understand the changes they need to make and signposts the help available during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Guidance for those under 25 who provide care for someone. London, Department of Health and Social Care, 2020, online.

Guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or family (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This guidance is for anyone in England who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who, due to a lifelong condition, illness, disability, serious injury, a mental health condition or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.

It provides with general advice on protection, personal protective equipments, vaccination, emergency plans, maintening own health, getting support and information on what to do if someone has symptoms or a positive test for coronavirus.

Guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or family. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2021, online.

Guidance on COVID-19 for the care of older people and people living in long-term care facilities, other non-acute care facilities and home care (World Health Organization)

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, this guidance provides information on infection and prevention control (?IPC)?, community preparedness, selfcare for wellbeing, and preparation for the “new normal”.

This guidance is for older people, their friends and families, caregivers, healthcare providers, long-term care (?LTC)? providers and community/regional/national leaders. A facility where older people receive care (?including LTC facilities, non-acute care facilities, home care services, etc.)? should practice IPC and prevent social isolation of older people. Communities should continue to provide integrated care to support older people. Regional and national leaders should strengthen their efforts in the “new normal” for older people by promoting self-care, use of IT, community-based care and age-friendly environment.

These will create the foundation for “new future”, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, where communities recognize people’s health as an integral infrastructure, and are supporting older people to stay healthy, thrive, and age-in-place.

Guidance on COVID-19 for the care of older people and people living in long-term care facilities, other non-acute care facilities and home care + Annex: Screening tests for physical and mental capacity #HealtyAtHome. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, 22 p. + 10 p. (Annex).

Guidance on developing a national deployment and vaccination plan for COVID-19 vaccines. Interim guidance, 16 November 2020 (World Health Organization)

This guidance document is directed at national authorities who are responsible for managing deployment, implementation and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as partners who provide the required support.

As in most countries the establishment of a COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination mechanism falls with the ministry of health (MoH), this guidance document is intended to support them as they develop the coordination mechanisms across all sectors of government and multistakeholders.

This national deployment vaccination plan (NDVP) guidance document provides a framework that supports countries in:

Developing and updating their NDVP for the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines
Designing strategies for the deployment, implementation and monitoring of the COVID-19 vaccine(s) in country
Ensuring the plan and related financing is well aligned to other national COVID-19 recovery and response and support plans, and implementation is fully integrated into national governance mechanisms

Guidance on developing a national deployment and vaccination plan for COVID-19 vaccines (Interim guidance, 16 November 2020). Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, 89 p.

Guidance on home quarantine and caring for older people with dementia in Covid-19 pandemic (Alzheimer's Indonesia)

Alzheimer’s Indonesia publishes this guide as an aid in the physical and mental care of elderly people with dementia and their caregivers who have to carry out confinement due to Covid19.

Guidance on home quarantine and caring for older people with dementia in Covid-19 pandemic. Jakarta, Alzheimer’s Indonesia, 2021, 31 p.

Guidance on home quarantine and caring for older people with dementia in Covid-19 pandemic (Alzheimer's Indonesia)

Alzheimer’s Indonesia publishes this video as an aid in the physical and mental care of elderly people with dementia and their caregivers who have to carry out confinement due to Covid19.

Guidance on home quarantine and caring for older people with dementia in Covid-19 pandemic. Jakarta, Alzheimer’s Indonesia, 2021, online.

Guidance on reopening of day services for older people in context of COVID 19 vaccination programme (Health Service Executive, Ireland)

The aim of this guidance is to support reopening of day centre services while acknowledging ongoing risk of COVID 19 and community transmission pending deployment of the full national COVID 19 vaccination programme. The guidance reflects:

Preparedness plans prior to opening
Protocols to guide service user transportation to and from day centres
Resumption of activities in the day centre with lowest practical risk
Management of potential cases / outbreaks where identified

Guidance on reopening of day services for older people in context of Covid-19 vaccination programme. Dublin, Health Service Executive, 2021, 9 p.

Guidance on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Disability Services (Ireland's Health Services)

This guidance is intended for healthcare professionals working in disability services and gives advice on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). It first informs about standard precautions of hygiene and provides with information for different settings in which support is provided for a person with a disability: requirement for PPE, types of PPE, cleaning and desinfection, etc.

Guidance on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Disability Services. Dublin, Ireland’s Health Services, 2020, 19 p.

Guidance. Visiting arrangements in care homes for the period of national restrictions (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This guidance applies for the period of the national restrictions beginning 5 November 2020. This supplements the legal position set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020.

The guidance sets out measures that can be put in place to provide COVID-secure opportunities for families to meet using visiting arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, and window visits.

Guidance. Visiting arrangements in care homes for the period of national restrictions. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2020, online.

Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19) admission and care of people in care homes (Department of Health and Social Care, UK)

This document updates the previous ‘Admission and care of residents during COVID-19 incident in a care home’ guidance published on 2 April 2020, in line with the support package for care homes and latest updated advice on testing and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).

This guidance is for care homes, local health protection teams, local authorities, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and registered providers of accommodation for people who need personal or nursing care. It sets out how to: admit and care for residents safely and protect care home staff.

Guidance: Coronavirus (COVID-19) admission and care of people in care homes. London, Department of Health and Social Care, 2020, 49 p.

Guide for a respectful and sensitive accompaniment in the last days of life of a elderly person residing in a long-term care facility in the time of Covid-19 (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

The guide is aimed at all social and health officials who work in long-term care facilities in Chile, especially those who are in direct contact with the elderly. Its objective is to complement the tools necessary to strengthen the quality of life and death of residents, through respectful and sensitive accompaniment in their last days of life, and always keeping in mind that dignity at the end of life must be respected by all means.

The recommendations focus on these subjects:

Accepting irreversibility and limitation that death imposes on us
Taking care of us humanly requires a look at “the person”
Supporting physical and/or medical needs
Supporting emotional, spiritual and relational needs
Supporting ethical needs

Guía para un acompañamiento respetuoso y sensible en los últimos días de vida de una persona mayor residente de un ELEAM en tiempos de Covid-19. Santiago, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia (SENAMA), 2020, 8 p.

Guide to Covid-19 vaccine communications. A practitioner’s guide to the principles of COVID-19 vaccine communications (University of Florida, U.S.A)

The factors that lead people to make choices to take vaccines are nuanced and affected by how they see the world, their perceptions of the choices people like them will make, who they trust, their perceptions of risk, consistency of message and convenience of actually getting the vaccine. There are a set of principles for sharing vaccine information that can help increase trust, acceptance and demand for vaccination.

This guide was prepared by the Center for Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications in partnership with Purpose and the United Nations Verified initiative. The guide we’ll help you understand this complexity and nuance and offer principles and insights drawn from leading experts in vaccine communications that can guide your efforts.

Center for Public Interest Communications of the College of Journalism and Communications. Guide to Covid-19 vaccine communications. A practitioner’s guide to the principles of COVID-19 vaccine communications. Gainesville, University of Florida, 2020, 30 p.

Guidelines and recommendations regarding support from health facilities to facilities for dependent elderly people (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document gives advice to healthcare establishments on offering support to medicalized nursing homes during the COVID-19 crisis.

It firstly reminds care home professionals that mild cases of COVID-19, both suspect and confirmed, should be handled within the care home, in order to not saturate hospitals. It also lists the geriatric resources that are currently in place for COVID-19 patients, such as a hotline for care home staff, mobile geriatric teams and support for decision-making. Furthermore, it states that domestic care services have been put in place to look after older people with mild cases of COVID-19. In addition, it explains the support care homes can get in palliative matters, and finally gives a quick overview of the health and hygiene resources that have been put in place for care staff.

Consignes et recommandations concernant l’appui des établissements de santé aux établissements hébergeant des personnes âgées dépendantes. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 9 p.

Guidelines for care homes (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

As part of the end of the lockdown, announced by the Government on 11 May 2020, this fact sheet presents the conduct to be kept up-to-date for care homes. It must be adapted to local situations.

Conduite à tenir pour les résidences autonomie. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 8 p.

Guidelines for palliative home care in South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic (ASSET, South Africa)

This website offers a collection of evolving resources that have been created during the COVID-19 pandemic to support health professionals facing decisions around discharging COVID-19 positive patients’ home for palliative or end of life care, and the families of those patients onto whom the care burden will fall. The focus of these guidelines is the support and care in the community or home environment.

Guidelines for palliative home care in South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic. Health System Strengthening in Sub Saharan Africa (ASSET), 2020, online.

Guidelines for preventing respiratory illness in older adults aged 60 years and above living in long-term care (Toronto's St. Michael’s Hospital, Canada)

Background
The overall objective of this rapid review was to identify infection protection and control recommendations from published clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for adults aged 60 years and older in long-term care settings.

Conclusion
The recommendations from current guidelines overall seem to support environmental measures for infection prevention and antiviral chemoprophylaxis for infection management as the most appropriate first-line response to viral respiratory illness in long-term care.

Rios, Patricia, et al., Guidelines for preventing respiratory illness in older adults aged 60 years and above living in long-term care. St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, 2020, 270 p.

Guidelines for the care of elderly people in care homes for the context of coronavirus (COVID-19), applicable to the family environment (HelpAge International, UK)

This guide offers advice on caring for elderly people during the COVID-19 crisis. The advice is mostly directed towards care homes but it can be helpful in a domestic care setting too.

Firstly, it lists some behaviours that should be adopted by both carers and users, such as hand washing and social distancing. Secondly, it gives advice to be followed within the home and tips on interacting with the outside. Thirdly, it explains how care homes should be managed and directed, and how they should provide information on their situation. Finally, it gives measures to follow when a person has been infected.

Pautas para el cuidado de personas mayores en residencias para el contexto del coronavirus (COVID-19), aplicables al ámbito familiar. Londres, HelpAge International, 2020, 6 p.

Guidelines for the implementation and operation of a transitional residence (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

The Temporary Residence is an exceptional and temporary measure activated by the Ministry of Social Development and Family (SENAMA) to face the COVID 19 pandemic. These correspond to a place specially fitted out to take in elderly people with some degree of dependency, under the responsibility of the operator of a Long Stay Establishment (ELEAM) which is activated to provide the services that normally correspond to it. The Transitional Residence seeks to guarantee adequate isolation for the institutionalised elderly and to respect their human rights, such as life, physical and psychological integrity, in the context of the COVID-19 emergency.

This document describes the characteristics and objectives of this measure, as well as the steps to be followed for its implementation. It then details the stages in the relocation of the affected people and ends with a series of recommendations.

Orientaciones para la habilitación y funcionamiento de una “Residencia Espejo Transitoria”. Santiago, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia, 2020, 13 p.

Guides for families and professionals supporting autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This document is a guide which aims to help carers and family supporting adults and children with learning disabilities or autistic adults and children during the COVID-19 crisis.

It has advice on a variety of topics: helping the person understand the pandemic, social distancing (and the exemptions that can be made for people with learning disabilities or autistic people), maintaining relationships, children and young people (namely the closing of schools and EHC plans), staying well (which includes advice on hygiene, managing symptoms, personal assistants and more), healthcare, advance care planning, the CARE act, safeguarding (including the six key principles of safeguarding and detection of abuse) and death and bereavement.

The guide also has a number of links to easy read guides about the pandemic, aimed at helping people with learning disabilities and autistic people understand the current situation.

Guides for families and professionals supporting autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment (Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China)

This document aims to give advice to staff and users of Social, Community and Residential care centres regarding COVID-19.

It offers extensive measures to prevent the spread of the illness and protect people at increased risk of severe illness. These measures include but are not limited to ways of preventing spread of infection, measures for users in shielding categories, the use Personal Protective Equipment, environmental decontamination, staffing and caring for someone who has died.

It also contains 7 Appendixes, which are mostly graphics and tables on a variety of related topics, such as putting on and removing PPE, decontamination of reusable non-invasive patient care equipment and PPE tables.

Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment. Hangzhou, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 2020, online.

Health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce. Guidance (Department of Health and Social Care, UK)

This guidance includes tips, advice and toolkits that employers and managers can use to help build the resilience of their team and address any concerns their staff may have. There is also a section that provides guidance on how all those working in social care can manage their personal mental health in the current circumstances.

Health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce. Guidance. London, Department of Health and Social Care, 2021, online.

Helping day centres to 'unlock lockdown'

The COVID-19, or Coronavirus, pandemic and the lockdown of society from March 2020 were unprecedented. Most day centres closed to regular users.

Because adult day centres are not a regulated service, and tend to be invisible in terms of guidance provided, we have put together Helping adult day centres to ‘unlock lockdown’. This document aims to support manager or voluntary co-ordinators and staff generally, into the ‘new normal’ after the lockdown. There is strong evidence that attending a day centre brings quality of life and so, despite risks, enabling people to have the choice of going to a day centre is something worthwhile.

Part 1 covers some of the practicalities of re-opening. It draws on guidance related to Coronavirus or COVID-19, but also on other guidance related to social care, and relevant guidance, advice, and action points for regulated settings (e.g. early years day care, care homes), some of which is also relevant to day centres.

Part 2 prompts providers to reflect on what has happened, what else you may wish to think about, the process of moving forwards and any learning that will be helpful for the future. Individual sections can be completed according to the stage providers are in.

Helping day centres to ‘unlock lockdown’. London, King’s College London, 2020, 14 p.

Helping to prevent infection: a quick guide for managers and staff in care homes (Social Care Institute for Excellence and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, UK)

Delivering clean, safe care is essential to preventing infection. This brief guide has been co-produced by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Social Care Institute of Excellence and gives some essential tips about hand decontamination, personal protective equipment, sharps and waste disposal.

Helping to prevent infection: a quick guide for managers and staff in care homes. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2020, 4 p.

Home care and COVID-19: advice and best practice (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This quick guide will help home care workers and personal assistants (PAs) to provide care and support to people who have left hospital after having COVID-19. It explains what to expect as these people return to their lives at home under new circumstances. Involvement of families, friends and personal networks should be central to providing appropriate care and support.

Home care and COVID-19: advice and best practice. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Home care for older people (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

These recommendations are intended for homecare professionals to guide the support of elderly people living at home, whether in a “traditional” home or other places, such as assistance and support services, home nursing services or multi-skilled home help and care services.

Main topics are:

What to do about the emergence of virus variants
The role of home-based services in vaccination

Services à domicile accompagnant des personnes âgees. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2021, 8 p.

Home care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and management of their contacts (World Health Organization)

This interim guidance is an update of the guidance published on 17 March 2020 with advice on safe and appropriate home care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and on the public health measures related to the management of their contacts.

Home care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and management of their contacts. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, 9 p.

Home management of end-of-life patients requiring palliative sedation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Ministry of Health, Spain)

The aim of this document is to provide a set of recommendations to assist primary care professionals in decision making for the application of palliative sedation at home in the last days of life for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Subdirección General de Calidad Asistencial e Innovación. Manejo en domicilio de pacientes al final de la vida que requieren sedación paliativa en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 24 p.

How can patients with COVID-19 and their family or unpaid carers be enabled and supported to manage palliative care treatment safely and effectively at home? (Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service, UK)

The Oxford University’s COVID-19 Evidence Service undertook this review to determine how people with COVID-19 and unpaid carers could be enabled and supported by healthcare professionals to manage palliative care treatment safely and effectively at home. Their findings are presented in two overarching sections as follows:

Evidence from studies involving palliative care for people with conditions other than COVID-19 on:

- Supporting carers to manage medication at the end of life
- Using digital technology to support carers
- Providing education interventions for carers
- Supporting carer wellbeing.

Guidance produced in the context of COVID-19:

- For carers
- For healthcare professionals supporting carers.

Covid-19 Evidence Service Team, How can patients with COVID-19 and their family or unpaid carers be enabled and supported to manage palliative care treatment safely and effectively at home? Oxford, University of Oxford, 2020, online.

How China has addressed the specific challenges of people living with dementia during the COVID-19 outbreak (Alzheimer’s Disease International, UK)

A video from Professor Huali Wang, Executive Vice President of Alzheimer’s Disease International’s member association in China, Alzheimer’s Disease Chinese (ADC), explaining how China has addressed the specific challenges of people living with dementia during the COVID-19 outbreak. It provides advice based on local experience and may help Alzheimer’s and dementia associations globally, as well as health and care professionals, people affected by dementia and their carers.

Covid-19: Sharing experience and advice from ADI’s member association in China. London, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2020, online.

Identifying barriers, facilitators and recommendations to long-term care Covid-19 infection prevention and control preparedness and response (Canadian Foundation for Health Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

This research analyzes 25 interviews with long-term care and retirement homes stakeholders from across Canada, to:

identify barriers and facilitators to, as well as needs and recommendations for, Covid-19 preparedness in these settings;
map relevant tools and resources from the “IPAC+ Resource Library” that can be leveraged as support.

Interviewees were asked to describe the factors that contributed to Covid-19 outbreaks, identify promising practices with the potential for short-term spread and scale, and provide suggestions on how to maintain essential non-Covid-19 care for older adults.

The Knowledge Translation Program (Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital) Identifying barriers, facilitators and recommendations to long-term care Covid-19 infection prevention and control preparedness and response. Ottawa, Canadian Foundation for Health Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute, 2021, 16 p.

Impact of viral epidemic outbreaks on mental health of healthcare workers: a rapid systematic review

This document is a rapid systematic review of 61 studies on the impact of providing healthcare during or after health emergencies caused by viral epidemic outbreaks on healthcare workers mental health. The review concluded that the mental health condition that was most prevalent amongst healthcare workers was anxiety, followed by depression, acute stress disorder, burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder. The prevalence of these issues was high during and after the outbreak.

The review also identified a broad number of sociodemographic, social and occupational risk factors for these conditions. Five interventions which aimed to prevent said mental health problems were also reviewed, and the various approaches taken (both educational and based on training and organisational changes) produced positive results.

The review concludes by stating that these problems not only have a long-lasting effect on the mental health of HCWs, but also hinder the urgent response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, by jeopardising attention and decision-making. Therefore, according to the review, governments and healthcare authorities should take urgent actions to protect the mental health of HCWs, taking into account the aforementioned risk factors.

Ricci-Cabello, I. et al. Impact of viral epidemic outbreaks on mental health of healthcare workers: a rapid systematic review. Pre-print. 2020, 92 p.

Improving health and social care (Covid-19 looking forward). Social Care Recovery Framework (Welsh Government, UK)

This framework focuses on the recovery of the social care sector in Wales and sets out the recovery priorities that need to be in place to support:

People (including children and young people) who need care and support, or who are at risk of needing care and support, and their families.
Unpaid carers who need support.
The social care workforce
Service providers (including regulated care providers), employers, and commissioners

Improving health and social care (Covid-19 looking forward). Social Care Recovery Framework. Cardiff, Welsh Government, 2021, 41 p.

Increasing risk of breakthrough COVID-19 in outbreaks with high attack rates in European long-term care facilities, July to October 2021 (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Sweden)

In 2021, morbidity and mortality among residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) dramatically declined with the progressive increase of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine uptake, still, several outbreaks, including severe cases and deaths, continued to occur during the second part of 2021 [1]. This article presents data from 240 outbreaks of COVID-19 occurring between 5 July and 3 October 2021, in LTCFs with high vaccination coverage reported by 10 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries in September and October 2021.

Suetens, C. et al. Increasing risk of breakthrough COVID-19 in outbreaks with high attack rates in European long-term care facilities, July to October 2021 . Eurosurveillance, vol. 26 (49), 2021, 6 p.

Industry code for visiting residential aged care homes during Covid-19. Updated 20 november 2020 (Department of Health, Australia)

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the Department of Health, consumers and aged care peak bodies have revisited industry codes to support aged care providers make informed decisions regarding visitation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The objective of the Code is to provide an agreed industry approach to ensure aged care residents are provided the opportunity to receive visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, while minimising the risk of its introduction to, or spread within, a residential care home.

Key Items:

Guidelines for visitation to residential aged care facilities have been revised to provide more proportionate protection to residents.
Revised guidelines now include a tiered approach outlining how residential aged care providers can respond to COVID-19.
The new ‘Tiered Escalation’ model allows residential aged care providers to escalate or deescalate their response depending on the COVID-19 situation they are facing.
Fewer restrictions will be placed on visitors where there is no community transmission (Tier 1), and ramped up if the facility is located within a defined hotspot (Tier 2) or when there is a COVID-19 outbreak in the community (Tier 3).
The ‘Tiered Escalation’ model should be used to determine and continually assess the level of visitation to aged care residents and additional restrictions required to protect residents against the ongoing risk of COVID-19

Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) et al. Industry code for visiting residential aged care homes during Covid-19 (Updated 20 november 2020). Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, 26 p.

Infection control e-learning course (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

Infection prevention and control are essential to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). This video-based course for care providers in care homes and home care will teach you about the spread of infection and what you can do to protect both yourself and the people you care for.

Understanding infection control will provide you with the tools to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

Course content:

What is coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Preventing the spread of infection
Managing the environment
About your general health

Learning outcomes:

Understand how infections spread and how to prevent it
Learn about hand hygiene and guidance
Manage the care environment
Manage laundry safely
Keep safe with personal protective equipment
Understand waste disposal

Infection control e-learning course. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Infection prevention and control and preparedness for COVID-19 in healthcare settings. Sixth update, 9th February 2021 (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)

This document aims to provide guidance to healthcare facilities and healthcare providers in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom on preparedness and infection prevention and control measures for the management of possible and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in healthcare settings, including long-term care facilities. In addition, this document addresses the management of clinical diagnostic specimens at laboratories in the EU/EEA.

Infection prevention and control and preparedness for COVID-19 in healthcare settings (Sixth update, 9th February 2021). Stockholm, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2021, 27 p.

Infection prevention and control checklist for residential care facilities in the context of Covid 19 (Health Service Executive, Ireland)

Comprehensive infection prevention and control guidance for residential care facilities is provided in the document “COVID-19 Interim Public Health, Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 Cases and Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities”.

Many professionals have indicated that it would support them in applying that guidance to have access to a checklist that highlights key points relevant to Residential Care Facilities to support them in the prevention and management of outbreaks. This checklist is intended to respond to that requirement.

It is relevant to residential care facilities for older people, other facilities providing similar levels of care for older people and to facilities providing residential care for other groups of people. It is not comprehensive in relation to all measures required and it is not intended to replace the detailed guidance provided in “COVID-19 Interim Public Health, Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 Cases and Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities”.

Infection prevention and control checklist for residential care facilities in the context of Covid 19. Dublin, Health Service Executive, 2021, 6 p.

Infection prevention and control for COVID-19: Interim guidance for long term care homes (Public Health Agency of Canada)

The intended purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to LTCHs to prevent transmission of COVID-19. It has been informed by technical advice provided by members of the PHAC National Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control (NAC-IPC). The document provides information on the following subjects:

Infection prevention and control preparedness
Screening
Visitors
Resident care and infection control measures
Routine Practices
Droplet and Contact precautions
Nasopharyngeal swabs
Resident placement and accommodation
Resident activity
Outbreak management
Discontinuing additional precautions
Handling of deceased bodies, lab specimens and resident care equipment
Environmental cleaning and disinfection
Linen, dishes and cutlery
Waste management

Infection prevention and control for COVID-19: Interim guidance for long term care homes. Ontario, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020, online.

Infection prevention and control guidance for long-term care facilities in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance, 8 January 2021 (World Health Organization)

This document is an update of the guidance published on 21 March 2020 and contains new evidence and guidance, including the following:

Updated results from published studies on:
- The epidemiology and extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection among residents and staff in long-term care facilities (LTCFs)
- The effectiveness of infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in LTCFs
- The impact of IPC precautions on mental and physical health and well-being of older people, and in particular people with dementia or other mental health or neurological disorders.
Updated advice on IPC precautions to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and to protect health workers and caregivers of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in LTCFs
Advice on early detection of and testing for SARS-CoV-2 among residents and staff in LTCFs
Advice on policies for visitors to LTCFs and additional considerations on minimizing the mental and physical health impacts of restrictions and IPC precautions implemented in the context of COVID-19.

Infection Prevention and Control guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities in the context of COVID-19 (Interim guidance, 8 January 2021). Geneva, World Health Organization, 2021, 16 p.

Informal and family caregivers and visitors to facilities during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (Quebec Government)

Living environments for the elderly and vulnerable members of society, which include long-term care centres (CHSLD), intermediate resources (RI-RTF) in the “Soutien à l’autonomie des personnes âgées” program (SAPA) [Support for seniors’ autonomy program] and private seniors’ residences (RPA), have all been hit hard by COVID-19. The government decided to prohibit visits to these environments in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. During this period of time, informal and family caregivers and visitors were unable to visit their loved ones or provide their usual assistance, support and/or companionship.

Visitors and informal caregivers, are now allowed in facilities but only in those without a COVID-19 outbreak. The relaxation of these emergency measures is subject to complying with precautions meant to ensure the benefits of the services and avoid COVID?19 spreading, commencing or restarting in these environments.

This document provides a series of instructions to ensure the safety of all all concerned.

Informal and family caregivers and visitors to facilities during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Quebec, Quebec Government, 2020, online.

Information on Coronavirus for people living with dementia and carers (Alzheimer’s Society, UK)

The Alzheimer’s Society (UK) has created this website aimed at providing advice and practical tips about the Coronavirus to people living with dementia and carers, including information about what is coronavirus, how it spreads, what are the symptoms and sources of support. They update this information regularly, including details about how Alzheimer’s Society can help. This will provide support for people living with dementia and those supporting them – either in the same household or from a distance.

Information on Coronavirus for people living with dementia and carers. London, Alzheimer’s Society, 2020, online.

Information on the coordination mechanisms adopted in each territory between the social services and the health system to ensure medical care in care homes when Covid-19 cases arise (Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Spain)

One of the main lessons learned during the previous months around the world is that residential social centres are highly vulnerable to the effects of COVID-191 infection, and that it is therefore necessary not only to maximise prevention measures to prevent the virus from reaching these centres, but also to ensure the medical care of the people living in them, through adequate coordination between social and health services.

This document provides information on the specific mechanisms adopted by the competent authorities in each territory.

Secretaría de Estado de Derechos Sociales. Información sobre los mecanismos de coordinación adoptados en cada territorio entre los servicios sociales y el sistema sanitario para asegurar la atención médica en los centros sociales residenciales en casos de COVID-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda 2030, 2020, 55 p.

Informative video on the process of vaccination against COVID-19 in long-term care settings for the elderly (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

This video dated 13th January presents a meeting on the Covid-19 vaccination process with the objective of informing, debunking myths and answering questions regarding the vaccines and informing the professionals of the long-term care facilities about what the process will be like and the important role that each one of them plays.

Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor (SENAMA). Video informátivo sobre el proceso de Vacunación contra el COVID-19 en Establecimientos de Larga Estadía para Adultos Mayores. Santiago, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia, 2021, online.

Instructions in relation to disinfection of residential resources in the Emergency Phase of the epidemic before COVID-19 (Government of Catalonia, Spain)

This document aims to outline the guidelines for disinfecting long term care residential centres in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia.

Firstly, it explains how disinfecting these centres is especially important given the vulnerability of their users. Secondly, it highlights the entities which perform disinfecting work for these centres and explains how to contact them and arrange said disinfection. Thirdly, it establishes certain criteria to prioritize some centres over others in order to create a list according to which centres will be disinfected. It also outlines the organizational measures for this disinfection, including explaining how and where to make the petition and describing how the disinfection service operates. Finally, it defines what needs to be done after the centre has been disinfected.

Instruccions en relació a la desinfecció als recursos residencials en la Fase d’emergència de l’epidèmia davant el COVID-19. Barcelona, Departament de Treball, Afers Socials i Famílies de la Generalitat de Catalunya, 2020, 6 p.

Instructions to institutions approved and subsidised by COCOM for the correct use of protective equipment (Iriscare, Belgium)

This document includes instructions to institutions approved and subsidised by COCOM for the proper use of protective equipment. It details the protective equipment provided by Iriscare, at least for the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 residents/beneficiaries, and also details when it should be used.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) –Consignes aux institutions agréées et subventionnées par la COCOM pour la bonne utilisation du matériel de protection. Bruxelles, Iriscare, 2020, 6 p.

Instructions to nursing homes and care homes approved and subsidised by the COCOM concerning the prevention/reaction to a possible second wave of COVID-19 (Iriscare, Belgium)

This document first of all details the support provided by COCOM (Services du Collège Réuni et Iriscare) to the institutions in order to help them in the management of a possible upsurge of COVID-19 cases.

In addition, this circular details the measures that rest homes (MR) and nursing homes (MRS) must put in place in the short term (as soon as possible, and no later than July 31) in order to respond appropriately to a possible resurgence of COVID-19 cases. This document also sets out the obligations that institutions will have to fulfil in the medium term (by 15 September).

Consignes aux maisons de repos et maisons de repos et de soins agréées et subventionnées par la COCOM concernant la prévention/ réaction face à une éventuelle 2ème vague COVID-19. Bruxelles, Iriscare, 2020, 22 p.

Interim guidance for the prevention of Covid-19 in DHS-licensed residential and non-residential settings with at-risk persons. Updated March 31, 2021 (Minnesota Department of Health)

This guidance is directed at residential and non-residential settings in which individuals at higher risk of COVID-19 illness reside or receive services. These settings include, but are not limited to, the following programs licensed/certified by DHS:

Adult foster care programs
Child foster residence settings
Children’s residential facilities
Community residential settings
Mental health centers/clinics
Residential settings for adults with mental illness
Substance use disorder treatment programs – residential and non-residential

It offers recommendations for visitors and non-essential health care personnel together with information on social distancing and mitigation strategies.

Interim guidance for the prevention of Covid-19 in DHS-licensed residential and non-residential settings with at-risk persons (updated March 31, 2021). St. Paul, Minnesota Department of Health, 2021, 5 p.

Interim guidance on COVID-19 PCR testing in care homes and the management of COVID-19 PCR test positive residents and staff (Health Protection Scotland, UK)

This document is a guidance on managing COVID-19 PCR testing and positive tests in care homes.

It explains the ways in which certain care homes will be prioritized for testing, states that everyone with symptoms should be tested even if they already have contracted the virus, gives some evidence relating to asymptomatic carriage of the virus and explains the guidance development process. Finally, it gives some recommendations for resident and staff.

Interim guidance on COVID-19 PCR testing in care homes and the management of COVID-19 PCR test positive residents and staff. Glasgow, Health Protection Scotland, 2020, 16 p.

Interim guidance on supporting people with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic (Italian National Institute of Health))

This report emphasizes that people with dementia must be appropriately supported and protected, highlighting the fact that a high proportion of deaths from COVID-19 occurred in this group. Suggestions and recommendations are provided on how to adapt health and care activities to ensure the safety of people with dementia, including the use of telemedicine, measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 whilst delivering care in the home setting, and how best to adapt residential services whilst maintaining continuity of care. The report also outlines how clinical processes relating to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment can be adapted for people with dementia, such as COVID-19 testing procedures and hospital care.

Indicazioni ad interim per un appropriato sostegno alle persone con demenza nell’attuale scenario della pandemia di COVID-19. Versione del 23 ottobre 2020. Roma, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 2020, 68 p.

Interim infection prevention and control recommendations for healthcare personnel during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Updated Sept. 23, 2022 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

This guidance applies to all U.S. settings where healthcare is delivered, including nursing homes and home health. It provides a framework for facilities to implement select infection prevention and control practices (e.g., universal source control) based on their individual circumstances (e.g., levels of community transmission).

Summary of recent changes (updates as of September 23, 2022):

Updated to note that vaccination status is no longer used to inform source control, screening testing, or post-exposure recommendations
Updated circumstances when use of source control is recommended
Updated circumstances when universal use of personal protective equipment should be considered
Updated recommendations for testing frequency to detect potential for variants with shorter incubation periods and to address the risk for false negative antigen tests in people without symptoms.
Clarified that screening testing of asymptomatic healthcare personnel, including those in nursing homes, is at the discretion of the healthcare facility
Updated to note that, in general, asymptomatic patients no longer require empiric use of Transmission-Based Precautions following close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Archived the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes and special considerations for nursing homes not otherwise covered in Sections 1 and 2 were added to Section 3: Setting-specific considerations
- Updated screening testing recommendations for nursing home admissions
Clarified the types of long-term care settings for whom the healthcare infection prevention and control recommendations apply

Interim infection prevention and control recommendations for healthcare personnel during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Updated Sept. 23, 2022. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022, online.

Interim infection prevention and control recommendations to prevent SARS-CoV-2 spread in nursing homes. Nursing Homes & Long-Term Care Facilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

This guidance summarizes the core infection prevention and control practices for nursing homes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. First, it summarizes the recent changes (updates as for March 29 2021) and provides information on those topics:

Infection Prevention and Control Program
Vaccinations
Source Control and Distancing Measures
Visitation
Personal Protective Equipment
Testing
Evaluating and Managing Personnel and Residents
Managing Residents with Close Contact
New Admissions and Residents who Leave the Facility
New Infection in Healthcare Personnel or Resident

Interim infection prevention and control recommendations to prevent SARS-CoV-2 spread in nursing homes. Nursing Homes & Long-Term Care Facilities. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Key measures for infection prevention and control (Scottish Social Services Council)

This guide highlights essential practical actions to support good infection control practice during COVID-19, particularly hand and cough hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE). It signposts some of the key measures you will need to protect yourself and others when providing care and support for people, including those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

The guide is for social care workers providing support and care to people living in their own homes; particularly care at home and housing support workers, referred to as ‘domiciliary care’ in the national guidance. It acknowledges that many of the people you support may be in the shielding category.

Key measures for infection prevention and control. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, online.

Listening and support for care professionals (l'AVIQ-Agency for a Quality Life, Belgium)

This website contains information on helplines and support initiatives for care professionals, such as listening lines, psychological support, “wellness” workshops, provision of tools or mobile intervention cells.

Écoute et soutien aux professionnels de l’aide et du soin. Charleroi, l’AVIQ-Agence pour une Vie de Qualité, 2021, online.

Living with the times. A mental health and psychosocial support toolkit for older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic (Inter-Agency Standing Committee)

This resource includes posters with key messages for older adults on how to take care of their well-being and how they can provide support to those around them during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. It includes instructions for facilitators of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) on how to conduct guided conversations with older adults using these posters. The posters build upon the guidance sections for older adults in the IASC Interim Briefing Note Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak, and the IASC Guidance on Operational Considerations for Multisectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programmes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Living with the times. A mental health and psychosocial support toolkit for older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic. Geneva, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2021, 26 p.

Long-term care facility staff: answering common questions about Covid-19 vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This infographic is addressed to long-term care facility staff to inform them on commn questions concerning Covid19 vaccination.

Long-term care facility staff: answering common questions about Covid-19 vaccines. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, 2 p.

Long-term Care Facility Toolkit: Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination at your facility (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This toolkit provides long-term care facility (LTCF) administrators and clinical leadership with information and resources to help build vaccine confidence among healthcare personnel (HCP) and residents, as they play a critical role in providing trusted information and ensuring high COVID-19 vaccination coverage in their facility.

Long-term Care Facility Toolkit: Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination at your facility. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Long-term care guidance for non-medically necesary outings. Residents, their families, and representatives (Minnesota Department of Health)

This document provides a series of recommendations for non-medically necessary outings for people living in long-term residential settings. The recommendations are addressed to both the residents themselves, their family members or representatives. It provides information on the conditions that must be met for a person to be able to go outdoors and offers alternatives to avoid reuniting in the home of family members. It also informs about the convenience of carrying out tests after returning to the residence.

Long-term care guidance for non-medically necesary outings. Residents, their families, and representatives. St. Paul, Minnesota Department of Health, 2021, 5 p.

Long-term care residents and loved ones: answering common questions about Covid-19 vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This infographic is addressed to long-term care facility residents and their loved ones to inform them on commn questions concerning Covid19 vaccination.

Long-term care residents and loved ones: answering common questions about Covid-19 vaccines. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, 2 p.

LTC+: Acting on Pandemic Learning Together program (Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

LTC+ supports teams delivering healthcare for older adults in congregate settings in Canada to strengthen their pandemic preparedness and response. Through LTC+ teams can access funding, coaching support and connect with others facing similar challenges through national huddles. The program is designed to be flexible, with no time commitment and teams can engage in ways that suits their needs. LTC+ is for LTC and retirement homes, whether they experienced or experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak or did not but want to prepare for possible future outbreaks.

LTC+: Acting on Pandemic Learning Together program. Ottawa, Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute, 2020, online.

Measures and technical recommendations for action in relation to the essential services to be provided within the framework of the home care service in the face of the extraordinary situation generated by COVID-19 (Government of Catalonia, Spain)

This document is a tool which aims to help in clinical and ethical decision-making in a context of crisis and limited resources. This tool is in the format of a table and contains important questions and issues to take into account when making decisions about a patient, aimed towards the patient, their family, the staff team and other resources.

Mesures i recomanacions tècniques d’actuació en relació als serveis essencials que es prestaran en el marc del servei d’atenció domiciliària (SAD) davant la situació extraordinària generada per la COVID-19. Barcelona, Departament de Treball, Afers Socials i Famílies de la Generalitat de Catalunya, 2020, 6 p.

Measures for the prevention and control of SARS-COV-2 infection in residential and health and social care facilities (Government of Navarra, Spain)

This document is an infection prevention and control guidance for long-term care facilities in the context of COVID-19. It explains the informative measures that should be implemented, general measures for controlling and preventing the spread of the virus, what to do in the face of a suspected case and finally what to do when it is decided that a suspected/confirmed case will be staying in thee centre.

Medidas para la prevención y control de la infección SARS-CoV-2 en centros residenciales y sociosanitarios. Pamplona, Departamento de Derechos Sociales del Gobierno de Navarra, 2020, 8 p.

More than just a visitor. A guide to Essential Family Carers (Dementia UK)

This is a guide for Essential Family Carers (EFC). It starst defining what a EFC is, what does being a EFC involve, things to consider before becoming a EFC, and other advice in relation to visiting their relatives in a residential setting (the first reunion, the restrictions, etc.)

More than just a visitor. A guide to Essential Family Carers. London, Dementia UK, 2020, 9 p.

Normalising visiting to and from long-term residential care facilities (LTRCFs) for people with disabilities (Health Service Executive, Ireland)

Residential services for people with a disability are based largely in own door supported accommodation or small group homes (comprised of 6 individuals or less living in the house). Such facilities are fundamentally different from large, congregated LTRCF settings both in terms of risk and the needs of the individual and require a specific approach. This document outlines such an approach based on a risk assessment to address visiting individuals in such facilities and visits from individuals to their family homes (or corresponding setting).

Normalising visiting to and from long-term residential care facilities (LTRCFs) for people with disabilities (V1.0 14.07.2021). Dublin, Health Service Executive, 2021, 15 p.

Nursing Home Reopening Guidance for State and Local Officials (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S.A.)

This memorandum provides recommendations for State and local officials to help them determine the level of mitigation needed for their communities’ Medicare/Medicaid certified long term care facilities (hereinafter, ‘nursing homes”) to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

We encourage State leaders to collaborate with the state survey agency, and State and local health departments to decide how these and other criteria or actions should be implemented in their state.

Examples of how a State may choose to implement these recommendations include:

– A State requiring all facilities to go through each phase at the same time (i.e., waiting until all facilities have met entrance criteria for a given phase).

– A State allowing facilities in a certain region (e.g., counties) within a state to enter each phase at the same time.

– A State permitting individual nursing homes to move through the phases based on each nursing home’s status for meeting the criteria for entering a phase.

Nursing Home Reopening Guidance for State and Local Officials. Baltimore, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2020, 10 p.

Nursing Home Training Sessions (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

These training tools and resources will be helpful for nursing homes leaders to implement antibiotic stewardship and prevent C. difficile infections in residents.

Purpose of the training sessions:

To provide nursing home leaders with a set of training materials that they can use to enhance understanding of important concepts and practices that promote stewardship and C. difficile prevention, and to provide information, tools, and resources to take action to improve practices.
To develop and disseminate materials that can be accessed and used by long-term care partners and stakeholders interested in these topics.

Nursing Home Training Sessions. Baltimore, QIO Program (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), 2020, online.

Older people and Covid-19 (World Health Organization)

WHO, together with partners, is providing guidance and advice during the COVID-19 pandemic for older people and their households, health- and social care workers and local authorities and community groups.

The website offers many guides and infographics with information and recommendations on protection and hygiene against the virus, also aimed at long-term care homes.

Older people and Covid-19. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, online.

Online activities for individuals living with dementia (Alzheimer’s Society, UK)

Alzheimer’s Society is a charitable organisation in the UK providing resources for people living with dementia and their carers. Here you will find links and video examples of helpful ways to incorporate technology to provide engaging activity for individuals living with dementia.

Online activities for individuals living with dementia. London, Alzheimer’s Society, 2020, online.

Open with Care. Additional advice and guidance: activities and outings away from the care home (Scottish Government, UK)

General restrictions around meeting up indoors and outdoors are relaxing as Scotland plans to move to Level 0 around the end of June. This document provides further guidance around care home residents leaving the care home for meaningful contact or activities. These are the main subjects:

General principles
Planning and arranging outings during the pandemic
Key considerations for supporting outings away from the care home
On the resident’s return to the care home
Strategic Framework permissions

Open with Care. Additional advice and guidance: activities and outings away from the care home. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, 26 p.

Open with care. Seeing loved ones in care homes during the pandemic (Scottish Government, UK)

This checklist shows the safety measures we can take when visiting friends and loved ones in care homes during the pandemic.

Open with care. Seeing loved ones in care homes during the pandemic. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, 1 p.

Open with Care. Supporting meaningful contact in care homes (Scottish Government, UK)

New guidance supports meaningful contact to resume between adult care home residents and their loved ones, beginning with visiting up to twice a week. This guidance applies to all adult care homes. Care homes are now asked to make arrangements to enable meaningful contact with residents and loved ones. Given each care home has different circumstances to take into account, this guidance allows appropriate local flexibility as we continue to fight the global pandemic.

The main sections of this document are:

Support to Open with Care, taking action and reviewing progress
Principles to Open with Care
Working together to keep everyone safe
Maximising safe and meaningful contact
Conditions for resuming indoor visiting – Checklist
Compassionate essential visiting – summary and reference guide

Open with Care. Supporting meaningful contact in care homes. Edinburgh, Scottish Government, 2021, 36 p.

OpenWHO (World Health Organization)

OpenWHO is WHO’s new, interactive, web-based platform that offers online courses to people preparing to work in epidemics, pandemics and health emergencies or already doing so.

The OpenWHO platform delivers WHO’s and partners’ expertise closer to where it is needed and provides information in user-friendly formats for frontline responders and decision-makers. The platform is managed by the Learning and Capacity Development unit in the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

Users take part in a worldwide, social learning network that is based on interactive, online courses and materials covering a variety of subjects. OpenWHO also serves as a forum for the fast sharing of public health expertise and in-depth discussion and feedback on key issues.

The platform provides training materials for the following areas:

Outbreak.
Preparing for Pandemics.
Ready for Response.
Get Social.
Covid 19.

OpenWHO. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, online.

Overview of adult social care guidance on Covid-19 (Department of Health and Social Care, UK)

This document provides information for adult social care providers about COVID-19 guidance and support. It provies advice on many subjects, such as: infection prevention and control, reporting outbreaks, caring for patients discharged from hospital, visits to care homes and other care settings, testing, managing care workers, personal protective equipment, unpaid carers, etc.

Overview of adult social care guidance on coronavirus (Covid-19). London, Department of Health and Social Care, 2021, online.

Palliative care guidelines for families (The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa)

The PALPRAC website dedicated to palliative care during the Covid-19 pandemic offers this section of handouts to families. It includes:

A handout to assist families and carers in understanding what the elements of care are that needs to be paid attention to in this time.
A flyer to give clear instructions to families on the use of oral morphine at home.
A handout giving useful tips to patients and families in managing breathlessness, which is a common symptom of Covid
A handout for families to tell health care care workers in hospitals or care facilities a little more about their loved one and to ensure that the right family contact details are available.
PALPRAC Carer Guidelines to assist carers being able to stay safe while caring for COVID positive patients

Handouts to families. Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa (PALPRAC), 2020, online.

Palliative care guidelines for health care professionals (The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa)

The PALPRAC website dedicated to palliative care during the Covid-19 pandemic offers this section of guidelines for health professionals with several resources:

A guideline with suggestions for managing adult patients currently receiving palliative care outside of a hospital context during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Another guide created to provide guidance to health care workers (HCW) on the integration of palliative care (PC) into standard care in intensive care units, hospital wards, emergency departments, out-patient clinics, intermediate care facilities, care homes and private homes.
Training videos on the guidelines and other useful Covid palliative care links
Quick reference guide: Covid19 in hospital sympton management

Palliative care guidelines for health care professionals. Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa (PALPRAC), 2020, online.

Palliative care virtual support to healthcare professionals (The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa)

With the aim of supporting colleagues in delivering good palliative care to their patient, whether at home, long term care facilities or in hospital, PALPRAC hosts a weekly ZOOM PalliCOVID Conversation Hour. PALPRAC Members are extending this invitation to the broader community of Health Care Professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, ambulance teams and PALPRAC friends.

It’s an opportunity for sharing encouraging conversations about clinical cases, concerns and experiences in a safe environment where participants can listen, learn and participate with a panel of experts and Palliative Care Specialists.

Palliative care virtual support to healthcare professionals. The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa, 2020, online.

Palliative care: lessons from the coronavirus pandemic (Swiss Society for Palliative Medicine, Care and Support)

This report analyses the experiences of Swiss palliative care professionals and relevant institutions and the lessons learned from these experiences with a view to a second wave of the pandemic.

The document includes interviews with many professionals in which they indicate what their initial starting situation was, what challenges they had to face and what lessons they learned. It also offers a number of recommendations.

Soins palliatifs: enseignements de la pandémie de coronavirus. Rapport de Synthèse. Bern, Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Palliative Medizin, Pflege und Begleitung, 2020, 16 p.

Person-centred care during the COVID-19 pandemic: what matters to you (Scottish Social Services Council, UK)

This is a guide for social service workers supporting people at home or in a care home, to be used alongside local policies and procedures. It provides a summary of what being person-centred can mean in practice, tips on how to strengthen the relationship with those they support through good conversations and how this rights-based approach is supported by the Health and Social Care Standards and the SSSC’s Codes of Practice. There are links to further resources should they wish to follow these up.

Person-centred care during the COVID-19 pandemic: what matters to you. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2021, online.

Plan to combat the Covid-19 epidemic in health and social care establishments attending people at risk of the severe form of Covid- 19 (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

National protection measures are strengthened in all medical and social care institutions housing people at risk of severe forms of Covid-19, particularly the elderly, and in long-term care units, regardless of the epidemic situation in their territory. This document brings together the national recommendations.

Plan de lutte contre l’épidemie de Covid-19 dans les établissements médico-sociaux hébergeant des personnes à risque de forme grave de Covid-19. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et Santé, 2020, 12 p.

Post vaccine considerations for residents of long-term care facilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This website provides infection prevention and control considerations for residents of long-term care facilities with systemic signs and symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination. The approach described in this document is intended to balance:

the risk of unnecessary testing and implementation of Transmission-Based Precautions for residents with only post-vaccination signs and symptoms with that of
inadvertently allowing residents with infectious COVID-19 or another transmissible infectious disease to expose others in the facility.

Post vaccine considerations for residents of long-term care facilities. Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

Practical guide for action in Covid-19 epidemics in homes for the elderly. Lessons learned during the first wave. Anticipating the next outbreaks (Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine)

This report is a practical guide based on successful experiences during the first wave of the pandemic (exponential transmission and high lethality) in nursing homes supported by Primary Care (PC).

The main objectives of this document and its derived actions are:

To understand COVID-19 and its differential presentation in the elderly in a nursing home and epidemic setting.
To provide the basic tools/experiences that have been successful in containing and reducing mortality in different outbreaks of COVID-19 in residences between April and June 2020 based on scientific evidence, together with the experience gained.

Based on these objectives, the actions recommended by this guideline are structured as follows:

Pre-epidemic management (preparedness and contingency planning)
Management during the epidemic (mortality reduction and outbreak control).
Post-epidemic management (reducing the risk of post-COVID morbidity and mortality, functional recovery and control of outbreaks).
To provide practical tools based on previous experience to confront a COVID-19 epidemic in a nursing home and reduce mortality.

Monedero, I. et al. Guía práctica de actuación en epidemias de Covid-19 en residencias para personas mayores. Lecciones aprendidas durante la primera oleada. Anticipándonos a los siguientes brotes. Madrid, Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, 2020, 45 p.

Practical guide for care homes for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the context of Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic (Plena Inclusión, Spain)

This document is a guide aimed towards staff of residential centres which house intellectually or developmentally disabled people. It is an extensive guide which explains the (organizational, hygiene, medical, etc) measures that need to be taken in a variety of scenarios.

Guía práctica para residencias de personas con discapacidad intelectual o del desarrollo ante la pandemia de coronavirus COVID-19. Madrid, Plena Inclusión, 2020, 76 p.

Practical guide to handling Covid-19 in long-stay facilities for older adults (Ministry of Health and SENAMA, Chile)

This guide contains the ten elements that must be managed, obligatorily, by the establishments of long stay of older adults for the management of the Covid-19 and recommendations on its implementation. Also, an annex is attached to help in the verification of compliance with each of the measures.

Guía práctica de manejo Covid-19 en establecimientos de larga estadía para adultos mayores. Santiago, Ministerio de Salud y SENAMA (Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia, 2020, 6 p.

Practical recommendations for ethical and clinical decision-making in the residential environment in the context of the Covid-19 crisis (UVic-UCC University, Spain)

This document is a tool aimed at helping residential centre staff make ethical clinical decisions. It is a table that asks questions and offers suggestions for the patient themselves, their family, the care team and other resources. There is also specific support for patients with dementia, and some information on ensuring the emotional wellbeing of the staff and involved in the decision-making.

Recomanacions pràctiques per a la presa de decisions ètiques i clíniques en l’entorn residencial en context de la crisi de covid-19. Vic, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya, 2020, 4 p.

Preventing and managing COVID-19 across long-term care services: Policy brief (World Health Organization)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected older people disproportionately, especially those living in long-term care facilities. In many countries, evidence shows that more than 40% of COVID-19 related deaths have been linked to long-term care facilities, with figures being as high as 80% in some high-income countries. Concerted action is needed to mitigate the impact across all aspects of long-term care, including home- and community-based care, given that most users and providers of care are those who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19.

This policy brief provides 11 policy objectives and key action points to prevent and manage COVID-19 across long-term care. Its intended audience is policy makers and authorities (national, subnational and local) involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief builds on currently available evidence on the measures taken to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID?19 pandemic across long-term care services including care providers.

Preventing and managing COVID-19 across long-term care services: Policy brief. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2020, 54 p.

Preventing and Managing COVID-19 infections in Long-Term Care Facilities (Samson Institute For Ageing Research, South Africa)

Comprehensive set of standard operating procedure for long-term care facilities covering:

1) infection prevention,

2) testing and screening,

3) managing infection/outbreak, and

4) broader policies and planning.

This document aggregates useful information, offering detailed step-by-step procedures, examples and scenarios and taking into account variations in resource availability and government support. It also draws on the experience of managing an outbreak at Highlands House care, a nursing home in Cape Town, South Africa. This document was developed in South Africa and makes some reference to South Africa in terms of testing procedures but operating procedures should have general applicability in other Low and Middle Income Countries. Care facilities may need to adapt these procedures to their individual circumstances, budgets and operating models.

Kelly, G., Geffen, L., Preventing and Managing COVID-19 infections in Long-Term Care Facilities. Cape Town, Samson Institute For Ageing Research, 2020, 52 p.

Prevention and control guide against COVID19 in nursing homes and other residential social services (Ministry of Health, Spain)

This document offers extensive guidelines on preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 in care homes and other residential centres. It explains the measures that need to be taken in various aspects, and also gives guidelines on what to do in specific scenarios. The guidelines are mostly of a hygienic nature (it explains how to wash and disinfect surfaces, manage laundry and dishes, handle bodies and more) but there are also organizational measures, such as contingency plans.

Guía de prevención y control frente al COVID19 en residencias de mayores y otros centros de servicios sociales de carácter residencial. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 14 p.

Professional resources for social and health care during the COVID-19 pandemic (Matia Foundation, Spain)

This website compiles a wide variety of resources on COVID-19 and older people, mostly aimed towards carers, both informal and professional. There is a list of technical documentation, a series of videos on PPE, a number of infographics and finally some useful links.

Recursos profesionales para la atencion sociosanitaria durante la pandemia COVID-19. Donostia-San Sebastián, Matia Fundazioa, 2020, online.

Protocol for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in residential facilities for the elderly (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

This protocol, prepared by the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health together with the Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology of Chile, is mainly addressed to technical management and direct service teams of residential centres for the elderly.

It starts with a summary of background information associated with the covid-19 pandemic and continues describing the measures to be implemented in the presence of Covid cases:

General prevention measures
Mesures for the operation of the residential centre
Measures for the adequate control and monitoring of residents
General measures for the care of the elderly
Measures in the presence of Covid in the residences
Considerations and measures for the prevention and management of covid-19 in residences
Measures in the event of death by Covid

Protocolo para la prevención y manejo del covid-19 en centros residenciales para personas mayores. Versión 2. Santiago, Ministerio de Salud y Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia, 2020, 24 p.

Protocol of recommendations for the prevention and care of Covid-19 in residential facilities for adults with disabilities, Phase 4 (Ministry of Social Development and Family, Chile)

The aim of this document is to provide guidelines for actions to be taken by residencial settings for adults with disabilities in the context of the entry into force of pandemic phase 4 of Covid-19. The protocol provides general information about Covid-19, as well as prevention and protection recommendations for both users and staff.

Protocolo de recomendaciones para la prevención y atención del Covid-19 en residenciales para adultos con discapacidad, Fase 4. Santiago, Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y Familia, 2020, 16 p.

Providing care and support at home to people who have had COVID-19 (Social Care Institute for Excellence, UK)

This quick guide will help home care workers and personal assistants (PAs) to provide care and support to people who have left hospital after having COVID-19. It explains what to expect as these people return to their lives at home under new circumstances. Involvement of families, friends and personal networks should be central to providing appropriate care and support.

Providing care and support at home to people who have had COVID-19. London, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020, online.

Providing compassionate end-of-life care during the Covid-19 crisis: supporting the family (The Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland)

This short document gives a series of recommendations for health and social care professionals to support relatives of people at the end of life in times of Covid-19. The document provides guidelines on how to establish first contact, how to communicate and offer emotional support, even when visits are not allowed, and how to act in the event of the patient’s death without the presence of relatives.

Providing compassionate end-of-life care during the Covid-19 crisis: supporting the family. Dublin, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 2021, 2 p.

Providing compassionate end-of-life care during the Covid-19 crisis: supporting the patient (The Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland)

This short document gives a series of recommendations to caregivers of end-of-life patients during Covid-19. It mentions the particular importance of communication, facilitating the expression of the patient’s emotions, offering psychological or spiritual support, if needed, and facilitating communication with the patient’s family. It also offers advice on how to accompany the person who is actively dying.

Providing compassionate end-of-life care during the Covid-19 crisis: supporting the patient. Dublin, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 2021, 2 p.

Providing disability support services during COVID-19 (Department of Health, Australia)

This website contains resources and advice for disability service providers and workers so as they can find out when they must not go to work, getting coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, identifying symptoms, and protecting themself and the people they care for.

Providing disability support services during COVID-19. Canberra, Department of Health, 2020, online.

Rapid responses in Covid-19 - Monitoring patients with Parkinson's disease (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

Parkinson’s disease is a risk for severe forms of Covid-19 infection because it is a neuromuscular condition that can impair respiratory function.

These rapid responses aim to ensure continuity of care for patients with Parkinson’s disease during the epidemic period at home (non-institutionalized patients), with or without Covid-19 infection.

Haute Autorité de Santé, Réponses rapides dans le cadre de la Covid-19 – Suivi des patients atteints de maladie de Parkinson. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de Santé, 2020, 5 p.

Rapid responses in the context of Covid-19: Supporting children and adolescents, including those with a chronic disease, during lockdown exit (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This toolkit guide concerns support for parents, children and, especially, adolescents with lockdown exit arrangements to enable them to adapt their lifestyles and calmly envisage a return to their usual activities based on a shared decision-making process. It describes:

how to prevent COVID-19 infection in children and adolescents by promoting a positive strategy;
how to ensure the continuity or resumption of healthcare and a return to usual activities for all infants, children and adolescents, including those with a chronic disease, seeking additional precautions compared to the general population, in the rare cases in which this proves to be necessary.

It is aimed at the following professionals: general practitioners, paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, school doctors and nurses, midwives, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, orthoptists, occupational therapists, psychomotor therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, social and medico-social sector professionals.

Haute Autorité de Santé, Rapid responses in the context of Covid-19: Supporting children and adolescents, including those with a chronic disease, during lockdown exit (last update 23 June 2020). Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 21 p.

Rapid review of public health guidance for residential care facilities in the context of COVID-19. 17 February 2021 (Health Information and Quality Authority, Ireland)

To inform guidance development by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre and decision-making by the National Public Health Emergency Team, the Health Information and Quality Authority is undertaking an ongoing rapid review of guidance for residential care facilities in the context of Covid-19.

This version of the review takes a different approach and directly compares current guidance in Ireland with international guidance. The purpose of this approach is to capture any innovative or enhanced protective measures which may be in use internationally, but which are not currently featured in Irish guidance.

The findings of the review are summarised under the following themes: vaccines, testing, screening, monitoring, isolation, cohorting, physical distancing, visitation, PPE, environmental cleaning and disinfection, immunisation, providing care for non-Covid-19 cases, caring for the recently deceased and governance and leadership.

Rapid review of public health guidance for residential care facilities in the context of Covid-19. (17 February 2021). Dublin, Health Information and Quality Authority, 2021, 76 p.

Rapid Risk Assessment: Increase in fatal cases of COVID-19 among long-term care facility residents in the EU/EEA and the UK (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)

This risk assessment details the latest epidemiological data in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) with a focus on older age groups and national reports of outbreaks among residents of LTCFs. All EU/EEA countries and the UK have experienced outbreaks among LTCF residents since August 2020.

Rapid Risk Assessment: Increase in fatal cases of COVID-19 among long-term care facility residents in the EU/EEA and the UK. Stockholm, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2020, 42 p.

Recognising deterioration and supporting people with acute care needs during COVID-19 (Public Health Scotland, Scottish Social Services Council)

A guide for social care workers supporting people in care homes or their own home. This guidance highlights the essential skills and actions to respond to and care for people, living in care homes or their own home, who have acute care needs due to COVID-19.

It contains the following categories:

Deterioration.
Observations.
Safe administration of oxygen.

Recognising deterioration and supporting people with acute care needs during COVID-19. Public Health Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, onlie.

Recommendations for action in response to Covid-19 in the field of social services in the Principality of Asturias (Government of the Principality of Asturias, Spain)

The recommendations included in this document are related to:

Measures relating to residential facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities
Measures relating to day-care centres for the elderly and people with disabilities
Measures relating to the rest of the centres and services of the Asturian Social Services System

This document replaces the one published on 18th May 2022, in order to update it in line with epidemiological changes and strategies for action.

Recomendaciones de actuación ante la Covid-19 en el ámbito de los servicios sociales del Principado de Asturias. Oviedo, Consejería de Derechos Sociales y Bienestar del Principado de Asturias, 2022, 30 p.

Recommendations for addressing frailty in a health crisis situation generated by Covid-19 (Ministry of Health, Spain)

The aim of this document is to facilitate the early detection of frailty and the approach to it in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic situation by adapting the recommendations of the “Consensus document on the prevention of frailty and falls in the elderly” to the current situation, highlighting screening in Primary Care as a key element of the intervention from which the rest of the actions will derive. In addition, in view of the special conditions derived from health care during the pandemic, the aim is to facilitate alternatives when face-to-face care is not possible, reinforcing support in community resources with subsequent referral to the health system.

The scope of these recommendations is broad, including the entire healthcare system, the social and healthcare system, the residential system and the community environment.

Grupo de Trabajo de Prevención de la Fragilidad y Caídas de la Estrategia de Promoción de la Salud y Prevención en el Sistema Nacional de Salud, Recomendaciones para el abordaje de la fragilidad en situación de crisis sanitaria generada por la Covid-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2021, 36 p.

Recommendations for children with autism spectrum disorder during the Covid-19 epidemic (Health Ministry, Spain)

This document gives some basic advice on caring for autistic children during the COVID-19 epidemic.

It has some advice for parents, such as maintaining healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits, and presenting activities as choices or games rather than impositions. There are also some suggestions of activities appropriate for children with autism that can be done indoors.

Finally, it reminds parents to carry their disability certificate when going on walks and gives guidelines on what to do if the carer or the child feel ill.

Recomendaciones para niños y niñas con trastorno del espectro autista durante la epidemia del Covid-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 1 p.

Recommendations for hospitalization of people with autism spectrum disorder with Covid-19 (Ministry of Health, Chile)

This document establishes the actions to be taken by the closed care health team, for the attention of ASD patients who meet the definition of probable or confirmed case COVID-19 in hospitals, in order to deliver timely, safe and quality care to them and their family, as well as to health staff who serve this population.

Instructions on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) will be complied with by all health care staff during the clinical management of probable or confirmed by COVID19 throughout the care process, as well as the visitor of each case.

Recomendaciones para hospitalización de personas con trastorno del espectro autista con Covid-19. Santiago, Ministerio de Salud, 2020, 16 p.

Recommendations for the safe opening of day centers and senior clubs (Ministry of Health, Chile)

This guide proposes some recommendations, from a social and health perspective, for the safe opening of day centers and senior clubs. The guide takes into consideration the characteristics of each type of organization and some SENAMA recommendations on safe opening.

SENAMA-Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor. Recomendaciones para la apertura segura de centros diurnos y clubes de adultos mayores. Santiago, Ministerio de Salud, 2020, 8 p.

Recommendations of the Basque Government’s Department of Health and the Basque Health Service regarding the Domiciliary Care Service. Covid-19 (Basque Government, Spain)

This document provides advice to domiciliary long term care workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. After giving some general explanations on the nature of the illness, it gives advice to protect both the caregiver and the user. There is also specific advice for a variety of scenarios, and information on training and coordination with healthcare professionals.

Recomendaciones del Departamento de Salud y Osakidetza . Servicio de Ayuda a Domicilio (SAD). Covid-19. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Eusko-Jaurlaritza-Gobierno Vasco, 2020, 5 p.

Recommendations to nursing homes and social health care residential settings for COVID-19 (Ministry of Health, Spain)

This technical document gives advice to care homes and other long term residential settings on infection prevention and control. It contains some general measures aimed at directors, measures for when a COVID-19 contact or case has taken place and general measures aimed at protecting staff’s health. It also offers advice on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, waste management, laundry and dishes, and identification of contacts.

Recomendaciones a residencias de mayores y centros sociosanitarios para el COVID-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020, 9 p.

Recommendations to support the mental health of long-term care facility personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a national survey (Wroclaw Medical University, Poland)

In Poland, according to the updated recommendations, only long-term care facilities (LTCF) personnel, who are essential for the proper functioning of the facility and who do not show any symptoms of infection, are allowed inside LTC facilities. The activities of residents outside the facilities should be limited to minimum. At the same time, the residents should be able to contact their families and support network outside the facility, e.g. meet with them in a separate room with a plexiglass or glass partition or contact them via communication devices. Volunteers, employees and other people from outside LTCFs should measure body temperature at the entrance to the building. If a person in the facility is suspected of being infected with the SARS-COV-2, it is recommended to notify the general practitioner or the nearest infectious hospital.

Therefore, in a recent study, the authors aimed to provide a window on psychological consequences (somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression) associated with the exposure of long-term care facilities employees to the risk of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion in Poland. Moreover, they investigated if institutional factors, such as PPE availability, safety guidelines or access to psychiatric and psychological support at the workplace, contribute to the decrease of psychological distress of the long-term care facilities personnel.

This website offers the possibility to access both the recommendations and the study mentioned.

Senczyszyn, A. et al. Recommendations to support the mental health of long-term care facility personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a national survey. Warsaw, Wroclaw Medical University, 2020, online.

Recovery and rehabilitation for people with dementia after having coronavirus (Alzheimer's Society, UK)

A person with dementia who has been in hospital with COVID-19 may need extra support when they leave. This website gives advice on how to support a person with their recovery and rehabilitation.

Recovery and rehabilitation for people with dementia after having coronavirus. Plymouth, Alzheimer’s Society, 2020, online.

Reimagining care for older adults. Next steps in Covid-19 response in long-term care and retirement homes. What we heard (Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

This report is based on more than 40 interviews with family partners in care, healthcare leaders and policy makers. It focuses on promising practices in six key areas that have the potential to reduce the risk of future Covid-19 outbreaks or mitigate their effects:

Preparation
Prevention
People in the workforce
Pandemic response and surge capacity
Planning for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 care
The presence of family

The report is intended to support those delivering healthcare to older adults in congregate settings – staff, managers, policy makers, family and caregiver partners and others who are all working hard to manage tough situations now, while also trying to look and plan ahead.

Reimagining care for older adults. Next steps in Covid-19 response in long-term care and retirement homes. What we heard. Ottawa, Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute, 2020, 38 p.

Remote Peer Support Network for people living with rare dementia (Rare Dementia Support, UK)

Rare Dementia Support is a charity based in the UK providing support to six low prevalent types of dementia: primary progressive aphasia, posterior cortical atrophy, behaviour variant frontotemporal dementia, and familial frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

As part of their response to the Covid-19 they have created a remote peer support network to put in touch people living with these low prevalent conditions during the lockdown.

Remote Peer Support Network for people living with rare dementia. London, Rare Dementia Support, 2020, online.

Report by the Spanish Bioethics Committee on the bioethical aspects of prioritising health resources in the context of the Coronavirus crisis (Spanish Bioethics Committee)

On 23 March 2020, the Spanish Bioethics Committee has received from the Directorate General for Disability Policies, Secretary of State for Social Rights, Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 a request for a report on the ethical implications for people with disabilities of the Recommendations recently published by the Bioethics Working Group of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), under the title “Ethical Recommendations for Decision-making in the exceptional situation of crisis due to covid-19 pandemic in intensive care units”.

In response to this request, the Spanish Bioethics Committee issues this report which, in addition to dealing with the specific consultation made to it, also includes other questions and bioethical reflections directly related to the coronavirus crisis which the Committee believes it is important to convey to the consulting authority and to public opinion as a whole.

Informe del Comité de Bioética de España sobre los aspectos bioéticos de la priorización de recursos sanitarios en el contexto de la crisis del Coronavirus. Madrid, Comité de Bioética de España, 2020, 13 p.

Report of the “Covid-19 and home cares” Working Group (Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Spain)

This document is the result of contacts and ongoing cooperation between the Secretary of State for Social Rights, the Autonomous Communities and agents in the sector. It aims to establish a common framework of lessons learned and cooperation to address cohesive responses to the evolving scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to residential settings.

The report is concerned with residential social service settings, especially those for older people and people with disabilities.

Grupos de trabajo COVID-19 de la Comisión Delegada y del Comité Consultivo del Consejo Territorial de Servicios Sociales y del Sistema para la Autonomía y Atención a la Dependencia. Informe del Grupo de Trabajo “Covid-19 y residencias”. Madrid, Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda 2030, 2020, 115 p.

Responding to COVID-19. Real-time training for the coronavirus disease outbreak (World Health Organization)

Real-time training during global emergencies is critical for effective preparedness and response. The COVID-19 channel provides learning resources for health professionals, decision-makers and the public for the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

As the outbreak continues to evolve, new resources will be added and existing courses will be updated to best reflect the changing context.

Courses are accessible in additional languages at COVID-19 national languages channel.

Responding to COVID-19. Real-time training for the coronavirus disease outbreak. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2021, online.

Responding to COVID-19: the ethical framework for adult social care (Department of Health & Social Care, UK)

This framework is aimed at planners and strategic policy makers to support response planning and organization of social care during and as COVID-19 develops. It outlines 8 ethical values and principles that should be considered in decision-making. These values are respect, reasonableness, minimising harm, accountability, proportionality and community. Each value has a series of associated actions to be used as a checklist.

Responding to COVID-19: the ethical framework for adult social care. London, Department of Health & Social Care, 2020, online.

Restoring relationships: The recovery of love, connection and family (Together in Dementia Everyday-TIDE, UK)

As the global pandemic took hold families felt a physical and emotional separation from their relatives living in care homes. Care Home Staff and Managers have also experienced a huge range of emotions, loss and change whilst ensuring the safety of the residents they care for.

Tide has created two Recovering Relationships toolkits, one for families and relatives and one for care home staff and managers. These toolkits are for anyone who knows someone living in a care home in Scotland or for anyone who works with care providers in Scotland.

Restoring relationships: The recovery of love, connection and family. Liverpool, Together in Dementia Everyday (TIDE), 2021, online.

Risk prevention and control measures for the spread of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases transmitted by contact (including drops) in nursing homes (Avalia-t, Health Knowledge Agency, Spain)

This rapid review aims to identify the necessary measures to prevent and control the dissemination of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases that are transmitted via contact in nursing homes.

The review states that there is a need for educating and training staff on control measures and management of cases, and that basic and widely accessible information on this topic should be available. It also expresses the need for identification of external and internal contact points, action plans for outbreak control and the capacity and ability for isolating residents. Finally, it emphasizes the need for the proper handling and availability of stock (masks, gloves, soap, etc).

Medidas de prevención y control de riesgo de diseminación del Covid-19 y otras enfermedades infecciosas de transmisión por contacto (incluido gotas) en las residencias de ancianos. Santiago de Compostela, Unidad de Asesoramiento Científico-Técnico de la Agencia del Conocimiento en Salud (Avalia-t), 2020, 9 p.

Safely re-entering long-term care homes during Covid-19: A resource for essential care partners (Healthcare Excellence Canada)

This resource was created by essential care partners, for essential care partners who have loved ones in long-term care homes during Covid-19.

An essential care partner is a person who provides physical, psychological and emotional support, as deemed important by the patient or resident. This care can include support in decision making, care coordination and continuity of care. Essential care partners can include family members, close friends or other caregivers and are identified by the patient or resident or substitute decision maker.

Essential care partners are different to general visitors; they have a vital role in a resident’s care plan, including during the pandemic.

This resource provides foundational information for those who have loved ones in long-term care during the pandemic. This includes:

What are the roles and responsibilities of essential care partners?
How to navigate caregiving together
The current state of LTC homes
The current provincial and territorial directives

This resource builds on the “LTC+ Acting on Pandemic Learning Together program”. It has been shared with more than 1,500 long-term care and retirement homes participating in the program.

Safely re-entering long-term care homes during Covid-19: A resource for essential care partners. Ottawa, Healthcare Excellence Canada, 2021, 16 p.

Senior-friendly initiatives at the municipal level during the health crisis and confinement by Covid-19 (IMSERSO-Institute for the Elderly and Social Services, Spain)

This newsletter explains what Spanish cities within the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities are doing to adapt their aid to the COVID-19 crisis.

Firstly, it explains the phone calling initiative that has taken place in order to make sure elderly people do not feel lonely and have their basic necessities covered. Secondly, it describes the various services and benefits local authorities are offering, including home care service, provision of groceries, extended telecare services and economic benefits. Thirdly, it gives a quick overview of the online resources local authorities have put in place, as well as the use of social media and apps as communication tools.

In addition, the newsletter explains how various municipal programs and activities have been adapted to the current situation using technology. Finally, it describes the work citizen solidarity networks, volunteer groups, Civil Protection groups and similar entities are doing to help elderly people during this crisis.

Iniciativas amigables con las personas mayores en el ámbito municipal durante la crisis sanitaria y confinamiento por Covid-19. Newsletter de la Red de Ciudades y Comunidades Amigables con las Personas Mayores, nº33. Madrid, IMSERSO, 2020, 14 p.

Sheet for health professionals, home hospitalization and home services. Care of elderly persons at home outside residential settings in the context of the management of the Covid-19 epidemic (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document is a guideline on caring for older people who are not living in medicalized care homes. It touches on two main topics. The first one is ensuring the continuity of care, medico-social accompaniment and social accompaniment. The second one is caring for older people with comorbidities, older people with loss of autonomy and very elderly people, who may have contracted COVID-19.

Fiche professionnels de santé, hospitalisation à domicile et services à domicile. Prise en charge des personnes âgées à domicile hors EHPAD dans le cadre de la gestion de l’épidemie de Covid-19. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 7 p.

Singing for the Brain (Alzheimer's Society, UK)

Alzheimer’s Society have an exciting new opportunity for you to deliver your own Singing for the Brain group using tools and resources provided by the Society.

Singing for the Brain uses singing to bring people with dementia together in a stimulating, fun, friendly and safe environment. It’s collaborative and uniting – just as music is itself – bringing people together, improving brain activity, well-being and mood.

Singing for the Brain (SftB) is now being delivered online using Zoom. The sessions continue to be interactive and consist of a range of music, movement and fun activities. Group members can see each other and the SftB facilitator, sharing their enjoyment of the session with each other. The group includes time for peer support and reminiscence activities using Zoom functionality.

Singing for the Brain. Plymouth, Alzheimer’s Society, 2020, online.

Sleepio. An evidence-based sleep improvement programme (NHS Education for Scotland)

Sleepio is an evidence-based sleep improvement 6 week online programme designed by sleep experts and based on cognitive and behavioaral techniques, aimed at health and social care staff and unpaid carers.

National Wellbeing Hub, Sleepio. An evidence-based sleep improvement programme. Edinburgh, NHS Education for Scotland, 2021, online.

Social connection in long-term care homes: A scoping review of published research on the mental health impacts and potential strategies during COVID-19 (Bethell J, Aelick K, Babineau J, et al.)

Good social connection is associated with better health and wellbeing. However, social connection has distinct considerations for people living in long-term care (LTC) homes. The objective of this scoping review was to summarize research literature linking social connection to mental health outcomes, specifically among LTC residents, as well as research to identify strategies to help build and maintain social connection in this population during COVID-19.

Bethell J, Aelick K, Babineau J, Bretzlaff M, Edwards C, Gibson J-L,
Colborne DH, Iaboni A, Lender D, Schon D, McGilton K, Social connection in long-term care homes: A scoping review of published research on the mental health impacts and potential strategies during COVID-19, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2020.

Social relationships are important for the mental health of people living in long-term care (LTC) homes

Good social connectedness is associated with better physical and mental health and wellbeing. However, the concepts of social connectedness and strategies to address it have distinct considerations for people living in long-term care (LTC) homes; LTC residents are typically older and have complex health needs that can impact social connectedness, yet they live in congregate settings and receive daily care as well as group social and recreational programming. This scoping review summarizes research literature linking social connectedness to mental health outcomes, specifically among LTC residents, as well as observational and interventional research that might identify strategies to build and maintain social connectedness in this population.

This infographic poster summarizes preliminary results of the research.

Snowball, E., Social relationships are important for the mental health of people living in long-term care (LTC) homes. Toronto, Enhancing the Care of the Older Adult, 2020, 1 p.

Special considerations in the management and treatment of persons with disabilities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (Ministry of Health, Chile)

In emergency and pandemic conditions, persons with disabilities are more exposed to discrimination because of the barriers they face in accessing health care, mainly due to inaccessibility of facilities and health information. Within this framework, it is the responsibility of the health team to generate the conditions for persons with disabilities to have access to health care from an inclusive and non-discriminatory perspective.

This document contains the minimum criteria to be taken into account, when providing health care to people with disabilities, by the health and administrative teams, at all levels of care, especially in direct care services such as Emergency Services and Hospitalization Rooms.

Consideraciones especiales en el manejo y tratamiento de las personas con discapacidad durante la pandemia SARS-CoV-2. Santiago, Ministerio de Salud, 2020, 6 p.

Strategies for building and maintaining social connection for long-term care home residents: Considerations for Covid-19 (The KITE Research Institute, Canada)

Social connections are important for the health and wellbeing of people living in long-term care (LTC) homes. The purpose of this report is to provide strategies, identified from published research and illustrated with stakeholder input (including a provincial survey), that can help to build and maintain social connections in LTC residents. These strategies can be used by LTC home staff, families and residents anytime, but the examples are given to highlight ways they might be adapted in the current context of COVID-19 or to help plan for other infectious disease outbreaks.

Strategies for building and maintaining social connection for long-term care home residents: Considerations for Covid-19. Toronto, The KITE Research Institute, 2020, 13 p.

Strategy for early detection, surveillance and monitoring of Covid-19. Updated 1 December 2021 (Ministry of Health, Spain)

The objectives of this Strategy are:

a) The early detection of cases with active SARS-CoV-2 infection.

b) The early establishment of the necessary control measures to prevent new infections.

c) The availability of the necessary information for epidemiological surveillance, with an adequate level of disaggregation and detail for decision-making.

The Strategy targets, among others, homes for the elderly and other social and health care facilities.

Estrategia de detección precoz, vigilancia y control de Covid-19. Actualizado a 1 de diciembre de 2021. Madrid, Ministerio de Sanidad, 2021, 32 p.

Strategy for the care of elderly persons in residential care settings and at home in the context of the management of the Covid-19 epidemic (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document outlines the French Health Ministry’s strategy for managing the needs of people older than 70 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Firstly, they intend for regional Health Ministries, which are the main entities aiming to stop the spread of the virus, to create a sub-section dedicated to older people. They also have enhanced prevention measures in care homes, and have organised and strengthened older people’s access to healthcare. In addition, there are guidelines on the hospitalization of older people during the crisis, and on managing death and bereavement. Furthermore, they explain the need for expanding staff numbers in residential care. Finally, the document explains how to help carers and healthcare workers make decisions, and look after their mental health.

Stratégie de prise en charge des personnes âgées en établissements et à domicile dans le cadre de la gestion de l’épidemie de Covid-19. Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 9 p.

Strengthening of guidelines for visits and protection measures in health and social care institutions for elderly people and long-term care units (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

Due to the deteriorating epidemic situation in many institutions, measures are being taken to protection measures are strengthened in all institutions for the elderly in order to protect the residents without isolating them.

This document updates the existing recommendations on the organisation of visits and protective measures within the EHPADs, other medico-social establishments accommodating elderly people (independent residences…) and long-term care units.

Renforcement des consignes relatives aux visites et aux mesures de protection dans les établissements médico-sociaux accueillant des personnes âgées et les unités de soins de longue-durée (USLD). Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 6 p.

Strengthening the Health Systems Response to COVID-19. Preventing and managing the COVID-19 pandemic across long-term care services in the WHO European Region (World Health Organization, Europe)

The guidance, developed in cooperation with colleagues at the International Long-term care Policy Network and informed by the LTCcovid country reports, will shape the assistance and work that WHO Euro will be doing with Member States in response to the pandemic.

This technical guidance identifies 10 policy objectives for decision-makers, policy-makers and national or regional health authorities as they strive to prevent and manage the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care settings.

While those tasked with making decisions for long-term care systems are often structurally separate from those managing health systems, during the various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic certain objectives should be pursued in cooperation and given equal weight in official guidance, public communication and planning measures. Such cooperation not only would help to strengthen and secure the availability of long-term care services for people receiving these services, but would also help to minimize pressure on health systems during the pandemic.

The focus here is on older people above the age of 65 years who use long-term care services in their homes, day centres or designated facilities (residential homes and nursing homes).

Strengthening the Health Systems Response to COVID-19. Technical guidance #6: Preventing and managing the COVID-19 pandemic across long-term care services in the WHO European Region. Denmark, World Health Organization, 2020, 31 p.

Suggestions for family carers supporting people with dementia at home (German Alzheimer's Society)

The German Alzheimer Society offers a number of suggestions and links for people supporting a person with dementia at home:

• The website provides a link to recommendations around hygiene provided by the Federal Centre for Health Education.

• The organisation suggests using music as tool to brighten the day and encourage movement. It suggests that simple musical tools, such as a rattle can easily be built out of a cardboard tube and dried lentils.

• The website provides a link to the initiative ‘Ageing in Balance’ provided by the Federal Centre for Health Education, which contains videos of exercises. Many of these can be performed at home.

• The article also points to further ideas that can be found through the app ‘Alzheimer and You – shaping everyday routines creatively’ provided by Alzheimer Society Germany.

Vorschläge für Familienbetreuer, die Menschen mit Demenz zu Hause unterstützen. Berlin-Kreuzberg, Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft, 2020, online.

Support for caregivers in response to Covid-19 (Carers Canada)

Carers Canada is a national coalition of diverse federal and provincial organizations that join with carers, providers, policy makers and other stakeholders to affect positive change for carers and enhance their quality of life.

This website provides information for carers, as they support the vulnerable and most at-risk people in the communities. It is divided into four sections:

Awareness resources and the Canadian Government’s most up-to-date advice
“Canada Emergency Response Benefit” and “Find financial help”
“Covid-19 symptoms” and a “Self Assessment tool”
Province specific resources available at local public health authorities

Support for caregivers in response to Covid-19. Ontario, Carers Canada, 2020, online.

Support for people living with rare dementia during COVID-19 (Rare Dementia Support, UK)

Rare Dementia Support is a charity based in the UK researching six rare dementias. They have collected information related to dementia and COVID-19 and created helpful tools, including practical tips videos and an emergency kit.

Support for people living with rare dementia during COVID-19. London, Rare Dementia Support, 2020, online.

Support material for people with dementia and their families and carers (University of Chile)

Materials to support people with dementia and their carers through COVID19, from Chile. This printable leaflets offer information about prevention, difficulties in understanding the situation, tips to manage changes on daily activities and for behavior disorders, etc.

Material de apoyo a personas con demencia y sus familias y cuidadores. Santiago de Chile, Universidad de Chile, 2020, online.

Support materials against COVID19 for people with intellectual disabilities and caregivers (Plena Inclusión, Spain)

This website by Plena Inclusion, a Spanish organization which aims to represent developmentally and intellectually disabled people, offers their COVID-19 related resources. These measures include an app, videos, news articles, online events and more. There is also an easy read guide which explains the pandemic and the Spanish State of Emergency.

Materiales de apoyo frente al COVID19 para personas con discapacidad intelectual y cuidadoras. Madrid, Plena Inclusión, 2020, online.

Support resources on Covid-19 and dementia (Spanish Alzheimer's Confederation)

The Spanish Alzheimer’s Confederation CEAFA has opened a new section on its website where it shares official information on the covid-19 pandemic relevant to people with dementia and their families.

Recursos de apoyo sobre Covid-19 y demencia. Pamplona, Confederación Española de Alzheimer, 2020, online.

Support with death, dying and bereavement during COVID-19 (Scottish Social Services Council, UK)

This guide is aimed at social workers or any caregiver and brings together information to support them in delivering compassionate, person-centred palliative and end of life care. It aims to help them:

understand and feel confident in their role
know and use the skills they have for facilitating conversations about death, dying and bereavement
create a supportive network with colleagues.

Support with death, dying and bereavement during COVID-19. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, online.

Supporting a person with dementia following bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Northern Health & Social Care Trust, UK)

This comprehensive guidance produced by Northern Health & Social Care Trust provides advice such as, when and how to break the news of a death, and how to cope if the person doesn’t remember the death of a loved one. This guide will be helpful when sharing the news about the death and offering support.

Supporting a person with dementia following bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Antrim, Northern Health & Social Care Trust, 2020, 9 p.

Supporting end of life care in social care settings during Covid-19 (Social Care Wales)

Social care settings provide end of life care and bereavement support in often difficult environments. Their work is now significantly complicated by the restrictions and challenges Covid-19 presents. Here are resources offering support and practical advice on aspects of providing end of life care and in offering bereavement support. They have been chosen by Social Care Wales with the help of people from across the UK.

This page contains the following resources:

Offering comfort to someone who is dying without their relatives or closest friends.
Offering compassionate care and effective communication when wearing PPE.
Having difficult discussions with someone who is seriously unwell or dying.
Offering comfort and delivering bad news to relatives who cannot be with their loved ones.
Supporting bereaved children and young people.
Recognising when your team is grieving and leading and responding with compassion.
Advice on post-death care and funeral arrangements.
Social work and end of life care.
Expressing end of life wishes, advance care planning and advance care plans.
Supporting advance care planning conversations.
Supporting end of life wishes for those without capacity.
Digital legacy.
Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatments (ADRT).

Supporting end of life care in social care settings during Covid-19. Cardiff, Social Care Wales, 2020, online.

Supporting older people and people living with dementia during self-isolation (The British Psychological Society, UK)

The British Psychological Society offers practical advice onto how to meet the psychological needs of people living with dementia during self-isolation. This short guide covers aspects such as psychological needs during social-isolation, attachment, identity, occupation or love. It also offers advice on how to help people with memory problems and living with a dementia to understand, remember and follow covid-19 advice.

Supporting older people and people living with dementia during self-isolation. Leicester, The British Psychological Society, 2020, 9 p.

Supporting people to keep in touch when care homes are not accepting visitors (Care Inspectorate, UK)

This document is a short guide on helping care home users keep in touch with their friends and family when visitors are not being accepted due to the COVID-19 crisis. It outlines the video calling software that can be used for this purpose, explains what is needed for a video call and provides a link to a resource on disinfecting tech devices.

Supporting people to keep in touch when care homes are not accepting visitors. Dundee, Care Inspectorate, 2020, 6 p.

Supporting people with long-term conditions (LTCs) during national emergencies (Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, UK)

This rapid review aims to identify the best measures for supporting people with long-term conditions (LTCs) during national emergencies, including but not limited to the COVID-19 crisis. The review concludes that disruption of care, diversion of healthcare resources, and interruptions to medical supplies can all impact patients with long term conditions (LTCs) during national emergencies. Some LTCs may be further exacerbated by increased stress and changes in diet and activity patterns. The data does not rule out any LTCs as not being at risk of neglect, but particularly highlights cardiovascular disease, diabetes, older people and people in deprived areas as being at increased risk. Suggestions for mitigation strategies can be grouped into planning and response phases, and broadly focus on collaboration, communication, and continuity planning.

Supporting people with long-term conditions (LTCs) during national emergencies. Oxford, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, 2020, online.

Suspicion or confirmation of Covid-19 in older people. How to preserve the psychosocial wellbeing of our seniors with cognitive problems. Isolate without isolating! (AVIQ-Agency for a Quality Life, Belgium)

The epidemic situation forces establishments to activate their internal emergency plans. They sometimes have to confine people with cognitive problems to a room. How can they protect them of a risk of contamination without depriving them of any social contact?

This document provides with recommendations, most of which come from the sector. These practices have been put in place in some institutions to ensure a quality of life for residents with cognitive impairment and isolated during a COVID episode.

Personnes âgées Covid suspectes ou confirmées. Comment préserver le bien être psycho-social de nos aînés présentant des troubles cognitifs – Isoler sans isoler ! – Charleroi, AVIQ-Agence pour une Vie de Qualité, 2020, 11 p.

Sustaining resilient communities. Sustaining resilience and wellbeing among community support workers for older people during a time of crisis (Sustaining Resilient Communities, UK)

Funded by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist’s Office (CSO) rapid response COVID-19 programme, this project is exploring how staff and volunteers within community based support organisation which support older people in Scotland are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research will explore the impact of the pandemic on the staff and volunteers of small community-based organisations who provide support to older people, with an aim to identifying what support they need to remain well while delivering services in the time of COVID-19 and beyond.

Sustaining resilient communities. Sustaining resilience and wellbeing among community support workers for older people during a time of crisis. Sustaining Resilient Communities, 2020, online.

Technical document of recommendations for action from the social services of home care in front of the crisis by Covid-19 (Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Spain)

This document offers advice for people who manage domestic care (at an administrative and managerial level) in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. It emphasizes the need for basic attention care to be uninterrupted, gives advice on the reconfiguration of care, explains how to reorganize care according to priority, and more.

Documento técnico de recomendaciones de actuación desde los servicios sociales de atención domiciliaria ante la crisis por Covid-19. Madrid, Ministerio de Derechos Sociales y Agenda 2030, 2020, 8 p.

Testing Guidelines for Nursing Homes. Updated Jan. 7, 2021 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA)

This document is intended to provide guidance on the appropriate use of testing among nursing home residents and healthcare personnel . This guideline is based on currently available information about COVID-19 and will be refined and updated as more information becomes available.

While this guidance focuses on testing in nursing homes, several of the recommendations such as testing residents with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and testing asymptomatic close contacts should also be applied to other long-term care facilities (e.g., assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, institutions for mental disease, and psychiatric residential treatment facilities).

Testing Guidelines for Nursing Homes. Interim SARS-CoV-2 Testing Guidelines for Nursing Home Residents and Healthcare Personnel (updated Jan. 7, 2021). Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021, online.

The Liaison Social Work Role in Nursing Homes and Residential Settings: A Model for Practice (Irish Association of Social Workers)

In April 2020, social workers deeply concerned about disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable residents in nursing homes and a wide range of residential settings, came together to share their professional expertise on how social work was adapting and responding to the needs of residents and their families. Social workers listened to the experiences of residents and families, drew upon existing and evolving messages from research and shared learning, resources and tools developed since the onset of Covid-19 across a range of Irish social work agencies and settings.

The model outlined in this document is informed by this collaborative expertise and provides a way to share learning across the profession so that social workers can provide the psychosocial supports that residents and their families urgently require. The model has been operationalised in varying forms in St Mary’s Hospital in the Phoenix Park, the Navan Road Community Nursing Unit, St Clare’s Community Nursing Unit, Clarehaven Community Nursing Unit, Lusk Community Nursing Unit and CHO 7 in Hollybrook Lodge Residential Care Centre. It has also been adapted for use in mental health services in CHO 9.

McGarry, S., Cuskelly, K., Reilly, P., Coffey, A., Finucane, N., O’Loughlin, A., Casey, L., The Liaison Social Work Role in Nursing Homes and Residential Settings: A Model for Practice. Dublin, Irish Association of Social Workers, 2020, 26 p.

The Liaison Social Work Role in Nursing Homes and Residential Settings: Guidance for Social Workers (Irish Association of Social Workers)

The Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) developed these practice guidelines for liaison social workers in nursing home and community settings in response to the distress, hardship and grief caused by the Covid-19 crisis. A similar model of practice is already used in hospital and palliative care settings and is adapted here for use in nursing homes and community residential settings to ensure equity in access to social work support for all people and families regardless of their location of care and death.

This guidance has been developed alongside the IASW document “The Liaison Social Work Role in Nursing Homes and Residential Settings: A Model for Practice”.

This document provides practical guidance on the role of the liaison social worker in nursing
home and residential care settings. Drawing on key messages from research and building on
feedback received from liaison social workers who have been providing services in nursing
home and residential care settings throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, this model provides
clear guidance which supports the delivery of a comprehensive social work service to
vulnerable adults and their families.

Importantly, this guidance reflects the feedback, queries and concerns expressed by
residents and families to liaison Social Workers already in post, reflecting the IASW view that
the learning from the lived experience of recipients of care and services must inform practice.

McGarry, S., Cuskelly, K., Reilly, P., Coffey, A., Finucane, N., O’Loughlin, A., Casey, L., The liaison Social Work role in nursing homes and residential settings: guidance for Social Workers. Dublin, Irish Association of Social Workers, 2020, 34 p.

The safe use of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic (Scottish Social Services Council)

Safe use of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic is a quick guide for new social service workers and people who are supporting the learning of others working in care homes and in people’s homes. The resource highlights the essential skills and good practice to prompt, assist and administer medication safely during COVID-19. It also offers support, information and links to other helpful resources.

When supporting people with medication, there are several ways you may be involved, depending on the care setting, your role and level of responsibility. Safe use of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic will help you feel confident to ensure the safety of the people you support. You should use this resource along with your organisation’s medication policy.

The safe use of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, online.

The use of face masks and respirators in the context of Covid-19 (Department of Health, Australia)

This document provides a summary of recent evidence around the use of face masks and respirators in the context of COVID-19. It has general advice on the minimum requirements for the use of face masks and respirators. This advice is for health and residential care workers and other occupational groups who may have contact with suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19, or people in quarantine. . It includes:

general considerations on the use of masks and respirators
evidence guiding recommendations for the use of masks or respirators in the context of Covid-19
recommendations for the use of masks and respirators in health care in the context of Covid-19

Infection Control Expert Group, The use of face masks and respirators in the context of Covid-19. Canberra, Department of Health, 2021, 24 p.

Tips for carers of people with dementia during COVID-19 pandemic (Red Cross Vienna, Austria)

The Vienna Red Cross website offers some suggestions and links for carers to engage with people with dementia through virtual visits to museums or the opera, to find support through digital carer groups or to learn about how to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic through participation in an online course. (In German)

Tipps aus der Pflege- und Demenzberatung: Covid-19 und die Betreuung von Menschen mit Demenz. Wien, Rotes Kreuz Wien, 2020, online.

Toolkit on State actions to mitigate COVID-19 prevalence in nursing homes (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

This toolkit catalogs the many innovative solutions designed at the state level to protect vulnerable nursing home residents during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Beginning with this new 11th edition (October 2020), the toolkit includes up-to-date information, guidance, and innovative programs designed to increase vaccine use against influenza virus, pneumococcus (bacterium), and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Major categories include:

State actions for COVID-19 Management and Response, now including vaccinations
Telehealth
Organizations Available to Assist Nursing Homes

Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes. Baltimore, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2020, 192 p.

Transport of patients/users during COVID-19 (Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

This website provides advice and information about transporting patients/users with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 disease. It describes the basic measures that are recommended to reduce the risk of transmission, as well as enhanced measures that are relevant in the event of an increased risk of transmission. The purpose is to protect patients/users and employees against infection, and to limit the spread of infection. The advice is based on the Guide to infection control for public transport (the Norwegian Directorate of Health), with separate assessments for patient transport.

The article describes:

Transport of patients/users without suspected or confirmed COVID-19
Ordinary patient transport
Reinforced measures
Transport of patients/users with suspected or confirmed COVID-19
Measures

Transport of patients/users during COVID-19. Oslo, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 2021, online.

Updated information on what to do concerning visits of home service providers to elderly and disabled people in Covid-19 epidemic stadium (Ministry of Solidarity and Health, France)

This document offers information on how to manage domestic care for disabled and older people in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. It touches on three main topics: the prioritisation of certain professional domestic care services above others, the measures to take when providing domestic care to a person who has contracted the virus and recommendations for those receiving care services, namely vulnerable children and families.

Information actualisée sur la conduite à tenir concernant les visites services à domicile intervenant auprès de personnes âgées et handicapées en stade épidemique de Coronavirus (Covid 19). Paris, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, 2020, 6 p.

Useful tips on the Covid-19 vaccine for people with dementia (Dementia UK)

This leaflet provides practical advice concerning vaccionation of people living with dementia, both for health care professionals and for family members. It includes questions and answers to highlight some of the issues that may be faced when caring for people with dementia.

Useful tips on the Covid-19 vaccine for people with dementia. London, Dementia UK, 2020, 2 p.

Vaccinnet (AVIQ-Agence pour une Vie de Qualité, Belgium)

This web offers training material on vaccination to professionals. It includes a training calendar, the user manual, videos and fact sheets. For vaccinators and their collaborators, included those in long-term care settings.

Vaccinnet. Charleroi, Agence pour une Vie de Qualité (AVIQ), 2021, online.

Virtual peer support groups for people living with dementia (The Zoomettes, part of the Deep Network. UK)

A guide and video on using Zoom for virtual peer support groups, by and for people living with dementia. The guide was developed by the Zoomettes, a virtual peer support group that is part of the Deep Network, a UK wide network of groups of people living with dementia.

Virtual peer support groups for people living with dementia. London, The Zoomettes, 2020, online.

What can I do when I can’t visit a loved one who is dying? (The Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland)

This brief document provides a series of recommendations for people who are close to a loved one at the end of life during the Covid19 epidemic. It suggests ways to communicate with that person in case visits are restricted, as well as resources for psychological support.

What can I do when I can’t visit a loved one who is dying? Dublin, The Irish Hospice Foundation, 2020, 2 p.

Workforce support and wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak (Scottish Social Services Council)

This document gives advice and guidance to social service workers on looking after their own wellbeing and that of others.

To begin with, it gives advice on looking after oneself, using various graphics which highlight ways to manage stress, emotions, balance, rest, etcetera. In addition, it explains how to provide support to people the social worker cares for using the 7 key components of Psychological First Aid. Lastly, it offers some resources for looking after colleagues, such as those created by the NES or a video on Trauma Informed practice.

Workforce support and wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, online.

Working safely during COVID-19 (Scottish Social Services Council)

This website contains information and advice to help social workers work safely in their own home or in the community. It also provides information on additional resources and what managers can do.

Working safely during COVID-19. Dundee, Scottish Social Services Council, 2020, online.

Your COVID-Recovery. Supporting your recovery after COVID-19 (NHS England)

When someone is recovering from COVID-19 he/she may still be coming to terms with the impact the virus has had on both the body and mind. These changes should get better over time, some may take longer than others, but there are things can be done to help.

This COVID Recovery helps to understand what has happened and what the person might expect as part of his/her recovery.

It provides advice and information for the family, friends and carers on the feelings they might be experiencing, advice for self-care, communication with the person recovering, access to further support, etc.

Your COVID-Recovery. Supporting your recovery after COVID-19. London, NHS England, 2020, online.

[COVID-19] Online training for hospital staff (Public Assistance - Paris Hospitals)

In the current epidemiological context and in view of the large influx of patients with severe respiratory impairment related to CoV-2 SARS (COVID-19), there is a need for accelerated training tools for the management of respiratory failure in these patients in order to make a maximum number of healthcare professionals operational.

In this context, an online training course has been created, consisting of training courses dedicated to the management of patients with severe respiratory impairment related to CoV-2 SARS (COVID-19).

The pedagogical content of this training will evolve according to the proposals of the expert/recommendation centres and may be subject to modifications/updates.

Currently, five training courses are offered:

B.A-BA of ventilation.
COVID-19 in resuscitation.
Management of COVID-19 patients: what precautions for dressing – undressing according to the care sector.
Medical Students Training.
COVID-19 and Pregnancy.
COVID-19 and Geriatry.

[COVID-19] Online training for hospital staff. Paris, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 2020, online.

Resources to support community and institutional Long-Term Care responses to COVID-19

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Resources to support community and institutional Long-Term Care responses to COVID-19

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