Visits to care homes
Seeing friends and family if you live in a care home

Each care home has different rules about having visitors.

Mencap have some
easy read
Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing.
information about how care home managers decide what is safe for the care home where they work.

The information also tells you who you can talk to about what the managers decide.

If you live in a care home, you should ask a member of staff what the rules are about having visitors to your home.

If you want to visit someone who lives in a care home, you should check with a member of staff about what the rules are for people who want to visit.

If someone is going to visit you, they should follow the care home's rules for arranging a visit.

This is a guide to what
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council Tax is the money that people pay to the council. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work.
have said about visitors to care homes.

The government have said that there is no longer a limit on the number of visitors someone can have if they live in a care home.

If someone feels poorly, they should not visit you.

If someone has symptoms of coronavirus, flu, or another virus, they should not visit you while they have symptoms.

If someone has symptoms of coronavirus, flue, or another virus, the might:
- have a high temperature
- have a cough
- loose or have a change in their sense of taste or small
- feel tired
- feel sick
- have a runny or blocked nose
- have a sore throat
- find it difficult to breathe

If someone has symptoms of coronavirus, flue, or another virus, they should not visit you for at least 5 days after they feel better.

All visitors to care homes should wear a face covering if they can.

Sometimes, visitors to care homes should wear special face masks or extra things like an apron or gloves.

For example:
- If they are going to help you with personal care.

Personal care includes things like having a wash or going to the toilet.

- If you are unwell or have coronavirus

If someone is going to visit you, they only need to have a lateral flow test if they are going to help you with personal care.

They will need to show the care home the negative result from a lateral flow test.

They can get free lateral flow tests from the care home.
If there is an outbreak of coronavirus at the care home, you might not be able to have as many visitors.
An outbreak means that 2 or more people at the care home have had a positive result from a coronavirus test in 14 days.

This includes people who live or work at the care home.
If there is an outbreak of coronavirus at the care home, 1 person can still visit you.
If you live in a care home and have coronavirus, friends and family can still visit you.
You can only have 1 visitor at a time.
For more information about what you should do if you live in a care home and have coronavirus, see our easy read page.
You can read the government
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
about visiting care homes on the government website.