Milton Keynes care home company to install 'visitor pods' so relatives can see their loved ones through a glass screen

PJ Care, which operates Bluebirds and Mallard House neurological care centres in MK, had been enabling socially-distanced visits in the grounds and providing families with full PPE so they could see their loved ones.

But as temperatures have fallen with the approach of winter, chairman, Neil Russell, said they needed to come up with an alternative.

“It’s hugely important to our residents’ wellbeing to be able to have contact with their families,” he said. “We have been helping them to keep in touch through phone and video calls but it’s not quite the same as seeing someone face-to-face.”

Each care centre will have one pod in its grounds. Residents will enter from one side and families from the other. There will be a glass screen between them and all the surfaces have been carefully chosen so they can be easily sanitised after every visit.

The pods will have hand-washing facilities and will be fitted with an intercom system so both parties can hear each other easily. There will also be a hearing loop for anyone using a hearing aid.

“The pods have been designed to our specifications and mean we can offer our residents somewhere warm and comfortable to meet their loved ones, in line with recent government guidelines,” added Neil. “We’ve made sure the doors are wide so that residents and visitors who use a wheelchair can access them easily. We can’t wait for people to start using them!”

Families will be able to start booking visits when the pods are delivered next month.

Bluebirds neurological care centre in Shenley Lodge and Mallard House in Grange Farm provide specialist neurological care for adults with degenerative conditions such as dementia, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. They also offer long term or ‘slow stream’ rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injuries.