This guidance applies from 25 November 2021 and replaces previous guidance on care home visiting.
This guidance applies to residential care homes. There is separate guidance for supported living and extra care settings.
There are no nationally set restrictions on friends and family visiting their loved ones in care homes. We expect and encourage providers to facilitate visits wherever possible, and to do so in a risk-managed way.
Visiting is an integral part of care home life. It is vitally important for maintaining the health, wellbeing and quality of life of residents. Visiting is also crucial for family and friends to maintain contact and life-long relationships with their loved ones, and to contribute to their support and care.
People living in care homes are typically more vulnerable to severe illness as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). While vaccination is proving very effective, we are still seeing some cases of severe illness, hospitalisation and death of care home residents who have been vaccinated.
Additional measures are therefore in place to facilitate visiting while keeping care home staff and residents safe. These include infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, individual risk assessments, testing arrangements and isolation on return from some high-risk activities out of the home.