Key information on Covid-19 restrictions

Restrictions have been removed in many parts of the UK, but the rules vary from country to country.

To stay up to date on what is happening in each of the nations, please see the below links:   

For Scotland, visit gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/

For Wales, visit gov.wales/coronavirus  

For Northern Ireland, visit nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19  

For England, visit gov.uk/coronavirus 

With new variants circulating, it is important to find a credible source of information such as GOV.UK, or the NHS website, so that you can keep up to date with information about coronavirus (Covid-19). 

The main symptoms of Covid-19 are still a new and continuous cough, fever and a change in smell and taste. There are however new variants circulating which are associated with different symptoms. These can include a headache, a sore throat and a runny nose.  

We know that many families are waiting to get a diagnosis, to access support and to plan for the future, due to delays in accessing GP or Memory Clinic services, caused by Covid-19.  

There are still steps you can take in the interim. 

You can keep a symptom diary, or a note of any changes in your relative; that way key issues can be listed to inform the assessor when the time comes for assessment. 

Starting a Life Story can be a good way to record your relative’s needs and wishes to allow for better communication between health and social care staff. It needs to reflect your relative’s interests, personality, likes and dislikes. You can see Dementia UK’s own guidance and template on this here. 

Many activities, which you know your relative enjoys, can help to reduce the symptoms of dementia. This can include music, exercise and anything else which stimulates long-term memories such as aromatherapy. We have written about this in greater detail here. 

You may also wish to raise this issue with your local MP so that attention increases at government level. For further information on how to do this, please see our campaigns guidance on this here. 

If you need any practical suggestions of how to cope during this time, our Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline is available up and down the country, as well as our dementia clinics through our partners at Leeds Building Society.  

To support families and healthcare professionals through this backlog, we have made investment into more Admiral Nurse roles working directly with GPs so that they can give families further reassurance and access to support.  

People with dementia are more likely to live with other long-term health conditions which could make them more susceptible to coronavirus, or reduce the efficacy of the vaccines. In order to reduce anxiety, continue to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing whenever you are with other people.

If you are not comfortable leaving home, then you may wish to rely on support networks such as friends or family to buy you essentials. You can also contact your local council to see what support is available to you. 

Some support groups for people affected by dementia will be resuming face-to-face support. After months of isolation, or getting used to these groups in a virtual capacity, you may have some questions around how you and the person you support can adjust to attending these groups in person again.

Contact your local groups/face-to-face services to enquire about their new policies, numbers within their groups, expectations, and reopening guidelines.

Talk about returning to the service with your loved one living with dementia. Maybe use some reminiscence, looking at photos of activities they may have been involved in, or talk about friends that they might have made there.

If you encounter some anxiety or difficulties arise upon return to the service, you might find that a slow reintroduction would be more beneficial. A slow reintroduction can include attending for maybe half an hour as opposed to the full hour, or however long the session lasts. You could also think about attending the group virtually, or have a guided tour of the environment by a facilitator in advance of the session. Accompanying your loved one to the first couple of sessions and gradually reducing the time you spend there with the person with dementia, can be considered as well.

In England, there are no nationally set direct restrictions on visiting in care homes. However, this differs between the nations.

You can read up to date information on the government’s website.

For information specific to the nations please see the links below:

gov.wales/visits-care-homes-guidance-providers 

gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-care-homes-visiting-guidance/ 

health-ni.gov.uk/publications/covid-19-guidance-nursing-and-residential-care-homes-northern-ireland

We have put together a going out series for families to make the most out of trips to the galleries, cinemas and restaurants. 

It’s important to have a think about the preferences of the person with dementia before you decide to do an activity, as well as what is most comfortable and practical for you to do.