Guidance for healthcare professionals, carers and care homes

General guidance

  • Autumn/winter 2023/24 vaccine programme - Home Manager Checklist: can be found here.
  • Care Home Guidance for Vaccination During an Outbreak can be found here.
  • Infection Prevention and Control measures for respiratory illness (including SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19) can be found here.
  • Guidance for General Dental Practitioners can be found here.
  • Guidance for Homeless Providers in Northern Ireland can be found here.
  • Guidance for Domiciliary Care Providers can be found here. 
  • Guidance for Adoption Services can be found here.
  • Guidance for Nursing and Residential Care Homes can be found here.
  • Regional nutrition guidance for care home residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 can be found here.
  • Advice for staff in care homes on eating, drinking and swallowing during COVID-19 can be found here.
  • Guidance for visiting in care settings in Northern Ireland can be found here.
  • Advice for care home staff to help communication with clients during the pandemic can be found here.
  • Guidance for carers and care home staff on the wide range of symptoms which can be associated with COVID-19 can be found here.
  • Key principles for HSC Trust staff visiting community settings can be found here.
  • A poster designed to remind staff in care homes of the need to continue following precautions against spreading COVID-19, even after they have been vaccinated, is available here.
  • Guidance for HSC staff visiting educational settings is available here.
  • Guidance for supported living providers is available here.

Verification of life extinct in nursing or residential care homes

The Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Medical Offer recently requested assistance with expanding the role of verification of life extinct by nurses. In support of this, the PHA have produced a series of ‘Frequently asked questions’ and a draft ‘Verification of Life Extinct (VLE) in a Nursing or Residential Care Home Policy’ to enable care home providers to produce their own policy

  • You can download these documents here.

Swabbing for COVID-19

  • Guidance on swabbing for COVID-19 in care homes and supported living centres is available here.

This video provides guidance for professionals who need to perform a swab test to COVID-19.

Bereavement resources

Guidance has been produced to support HSC and care home staff in dealing with grief and bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • A guide for care homes to supporting staff, residents and their families is available here.
  • Advice for staff who have experienced the death of a colleague is available here.
  • Bereavement resources for the general public are available here.

 

Test, trace, protect

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