Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) stepped in last week to support Dryfemount Care Home when a number of staff and residents became ill.
A total of 27 workers from the partnership were deployed – including three NHS nurses, a cook domestic staff and four health care assistants; two council social work staff and seven day services staff; a carer; and a third sector volunteer serving in a laundry role.
DGHSCP’s general manager for community health and social care Graham Abrines said: “As we’ve seen elsewhere in this country and around the world, care homes and their residents are among the most vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19. “When a number of residents and staff at Dryfemount tested positive for Covid-19, placing significant demands on the care home, Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership recognised this and moved very quickly to provide comprehensive support. This was carried out in close partnership with the Care Inspectorate, who have noted the speed and efficiency of what has been put in place.
“It has meant that the care home residents are receiving care and support, and it has provided backing and respite for Dryfemount staff who have been managing the situation.”
The emergency staff have been integrated at Dryfemount, working alongside existing staff and senior management from the company which owns and manages the care home. Mr Abrines said: “Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership is a public body which sees the NHS and Council working with the third and independent sector to deliver the vast majority of health and social care services in the region.
“Contingency planning within the Partnership from the start of this pandemic meant we have been able to redeploy our staff resources supported by a volunteer to where they are needed most to meet the challenges of Covid-19.”
He explained that the measure was always intended as a short-term arrangement, which was expected to last seven-to-ten days. A number of Dryfemount staff who were self-isolating have recovered and have now returned to work, and the scaling down of support was due to begin yesterday.
