Care home vacination

Well they should only be asking relatives' permission if they have power of attorney and the resident is not of sound mind and unable to make decisions.

Its not the permisson its that the relatives said no! and I just cant understand why they would say no for the person to have the Vac. If I had someone in a care home I would say give it to them straight away.

Presumably the relatives all want to get rid of their relatives in the care home by letting them become ill with Covid. Perhaps they think that there will then be more vaccine for them (the refusing relatives).

Personally, unless there were PoAs in place, I think the residents and not the relatives should have been asked. Or it should just have been done......!

Unless they have PofA then the relatives have no right to refuse it on behalf of another adult.

I bought up this subject before, around the issue of consent.
It's an absolute minefield these days.

All vulnerable people used to be given the flu jab as a matter of course, but not so these days.

If someone consents, then changes their mind at the last minute, who is going to "make them" have it?

I heard a Care Home manager say that about 40% of her staff did not want the vaccine, and about the same number refused the flu vaccine as well.
Astonished.

I’m shocked that the uptake was only 1 out of 18. I have a loved one in a care home and gave consent last week for his vaccine asap.

I’ve had 9 months of lying awake at night worrying that he might contract covid and it can’t come soon enough. Hopefully in the next few days.

Like most of his fellow residents he is in a clinically extremely vulnerable group and unlikely to survive covid.

After 9 months of trying to chat to him through the window and on video calls he needs a big hug from his family. That’s not likely to be possible unless all residents are vaccinated.

I wonder what will happen in homes with half the staff and less than half of the residents vaccinated??

MissAdventure I can’t even contemplate that scenario. In my naivety it didn’t cross my mind that there would be significant groups of care home residents who wouldn’t be vaccinated.

What is the matter with these people?

Honestly I despair.

Scientists have been working round the clock to help us all, and now it’s likely, if this particular care home is typical, that some of the most vulnerable sectors of society will remain unprotected.

I think having the vaccine should be a prerequisite for working in care homes. Those who refuse without a sound medical reason should be looking for a new job.

I really hope the home in question isn't representative of many others, or it would bring into question whether it's tenable to carry using the vaccine on care home staff/residents.

I would have a problem having to decide about whether or not a highly vulnerable person should have the vaccine and I am not anti vax.
Personally I do not intend being vaccinated myself until I am convinced it is in my best interest.

I honestly didn’t find it a difficult decision to give that consent. I feel that to refuse would be tantamount to signing his death warrant.

If another wave of covid sweeps through the home any extremely vulnerable are not expected to survive. So we have to hope that the vaccination will give them a fighting chance.

So many lives already lost as they didn’t have that chance.

I’m sorry Espee, surely that’s illogical, because there is far more chance of residents in care homes dying if they get the virus than if they suffer side effects from the vaccine, as they are unable to take steps to keep themselves safe as you are able to in your own home - unfortunately they are sitting ducks.

I heard on tv this morning that according to National Care Home association figures 20% of care home staff are refusing the covid vaccine and a further 20% are undecided.

I find that very concerning.

I wonder if anyone asks them why they are refusing?
Maybe they just need reassurance that the vaccine is perfectly safe.

I read this evening that according to the Guardian 57% of BAME groups intend to refuse the covid vaccine.

After another very upsetting care home window visit today I can’t get my head round what’s happening. Last week I felt uplifted and hopeful with the vaccine news. I can’t comprehend why large numbers of the population seemingly are going to refuse it.

As for the relatives of care home residents who’ve refused consent on their behalf? I just can’t imagine why they would choose that option for their loved ones knowing that the virus could sweep through the home at any time.

Surely they deserve a chance of protection against this virus which has already taken so many care home residents?

If there is such a disproportionate amount of time and effort being spent trying to get care home residents vaccinated, then MissAdenture is right in saying it brings into question whether it's tenable to carry on using the vaccine on care home staff/residents.
Delays in this area holds up the entire process.

We gave our consent for DH’s sister to have the vaccine in her care home when it becomes available. Why would you not? The restrictions in homes at the moment are so tight - especially in Wales - that they must be absolutely desperate to get their staff and residents vaccinated and hope to get some normality restored.

Many years ago I got a job with the NHS. I was asked if I'd had the BCG jab, which I hadn't. No idea why I hadn't. Must have been off when they did it at school.

So I had this test to see if I was immune. Obviously wasn't.

I was told I had to have the BCG or I would be unable to work there.

So I had it!

I can't believe care workers are saying they don't want the vaccine. It really beggars belief

And as for the relatives in the OP ... staggering.

I find this news greatly disturbing, if staff and residents are not vaccinated they are potentially turning the homes into death camps. Sorry for being so blunt but relatives refusing on behalf of residents is condemning them to death.

"Death camp" is just about right harrigan.
What I don't understand is that care homes were badly treated in the first wave and there was an a huge outcry. Now they have been given the means of sorting the problem, a fair percentage are refusing the vaccine.

Esspee

I would have a problem having to decide about whether or not a highly vulnerable person should have the vaccine and I am not anti vax.
Personally I do not intend being vaccinated myself until I am convinced it is in my best interest.

So presumably if you catch Covid you won’t want any treatment as you won’t know if it’s in your best interest ?

What is needed is for a whole swathe of prominent people/celebrities etc to whom all ages etc relate, to stand up and say “take the vaccine, I will be, it’s safe, it has been thoroughly tested and processed - just a bit quicker, it’s. Nothing to do with your DNA, it’s nothing to do with Bill Gates spying on you”