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January Activities
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Disease Outbreaks
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Disease Outbreaks (cont. )
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You Might Be Getting Older If
Reminder: Phone Calls
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Visiting Guidelines
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January Calendar
Corner Lodge Ltd 185-193 Meadow Way
Jaywick Sands, Essex CO15 2HP
Phone: 01255 220228
@ Business Office: lodgeadmin@cornerlodgecareclacton.co.uk
Manager: mgrcornerlodge@aol.com
Senior Care: senior@cornerlodgecareclacton.co.uk
f www.facebook.com/corner.lodge.77
Visiting Times: 10:30 AM to Noon 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM 6:00 PM until the resident retires for the evening
Valentine’s Day: originally a feast day honouring several Christian martyrs named Valentine that has become a commercial holiday used to sell chocolate, flowers, cards, sparkling wines, and dinner reservations. In Japan, women give chocolates to the men in her life (co-workers, boy friends, et al). The quality of the chocolate indicates the woman’s feelings for the individual men. The 14th March, White Day, is when men give chocolate and gifts to the women who gave them chocolate on Valentine’s Day.
At the beginning of the month, the Jewish community celebrates Tu Bishvat. It is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot literally "New Year to the Trees". In modern times, the day is regarded as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration. On the evening of 1st February, Jewish families will observe a Tu Bishvat seder in which the fruits and trees of the Land of Israel, especially of the Seven Species (Wheat, barley, dates, grape, fig, pomegranates, and olive) are given symbolic meaning. The main idea was that eating ten specific fruits and drinking four cups of wine in a specific order while reciting the appropriate blessings would bring human beings, and the world, closer to spiritual perfection.
You’ll notice that we’ve updated the logo. This one better represents us rather than the one that was “borrowed” from Corner House when we first opened our doors.
We celebrated the New Year by re-opening the home to unrestricted visiting following the chest infections that effected both the residents and staff in December and a couple of weeks later, we were diagnosed with the flu.
Be sure to view all the pictures and videos of the January activities on our Facebook page.
The Resident’s decorated the display board for the Burn’s Night celebration.
Everyone enjoys the fun and games
Diseases spread. It’s just “one of those things.” Corner Lodge had an outbreak of chest infections in December, followed by a flu outbreak in January.
What is an “outbreak?”
According to the NHS, Health Protection England, and Community Infection Prevention and Control an outbreak is two or more cases of an illness among the residents or staff with the same infection or symptoms. Just two.
How do diseases spread in a care home? The short answer is the same way they spread in other environments – through the air and on surfaces. And we all do things without giving germs a second thought: You’ve gone to the supermarket and pushed a trolley. You take your purchases to the car and decide you fancy one of the apples you just bought. Did you wash your hands before you took the apple out of the bag? A person who used that trolley before you might have been ill and you’ve just exposed yourself to their disease. Do you wash your hands every time after you’ve sneezed or coughed; Every time you’ve thrown away a tissue; Every time you’ve touched a door handle in a shop? Have you ever been “surprised” by a sneeze before you’ve had time to cover your nose and mouth? Have you taken a drink from someone else’s cup or glass? These things and more happen at Corner Lodge. We could spend 24 hours a day washing surfaces and door handles and washing residents’ hands, making sure the residents and staff always wear a mask and gloves, and we would still have outbreaks.
How do diseases enter a care home? Everyone who enters the care home is potentially carrying a virus that may effect the residents or staff. Staff, visitors, health professionals, ambulance crew … We have had residents come home from hospital with infections, respitory illnesses, Covid-19, and scabies. That is not to call the hospital infection control procedures into question – but recognising the number of visitors that go in and out of their premises everyday. All these people have been in contact with others who have been in contact with other people – we can never be sure where a virus came from.
But these outbreaks go on forever! Not everyone will become ill at the same time. Some residents will become ill later than others. Some residents will have the symptoms longer than others. In the case of chest infections, we are not allowed to open the home until we have had no new cases for 5 days and it’s not uncommon to have a new case on Day 4 or even Day 5. And remember, that’s no new cases among the residents or staff – a total of 106 people with the potential to become ill. It’s also not uncommon for the elderly to develop a secondary illness. Colds, the Flu can develop into bronchitis and pneumonia.
Disease Incubation* Contagious From Contagious To How long the virus lives on surfaces
Flu 1 – 4 days 1 day before symptoms start 5 - 7 days after becoming sick 9 hours
Norovirus 12 - 48 hours 12 hrs after getting the virus 48 hours or more after symptoms stop Can survive on surfaces for 2 weeks
Respiratory
Syncytial Virus (RSV) 4 – 6 days When symptoms start 3 – 8 days –Children and elderly may be contagious longer 12 hours
* This is the time between when the virus enters your system to when you start to show symptoms. You could be “sharing” a disease and not be aware of it. That’s the reason we ask you to use alcohol gel to clean your hands when you enter and to refrain from visiting when you’re not feeling well. You’re always welcome to visit. There are waiver forms that you may sign to show that you are aware we have an outbreak of a communicable disease and that you are willing to follow infection control guidelines to protect yourself those you may come in contact with.
Phone Calls
Corner Lodge is a busy place. As much as they’d like to, sometimes Gemma and Lori are unable transfer your call to the person you asked to speak with. Seniors may be taking care of a resident, Millie and Karen may be out of their office or otherwise unavailable. We understand how frustrating this can be and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We don’t always know why a transferred call isn’t answered. You are always able to leave a message with the understanding that we have no control over when your call will be returned.
