Please help prevent the spread of Covid-19

By Jonathan Acton - jonathan.acton@homeinstead.ie

At Home Instead, we have been working really hard to ensure seniors receive quality care in their own homes.

Our dedicated CAREGivers managed to keep the spread of Covid remarkably low to date, and it is an achievement they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

In addition, a number of our CAREGivers selflessly put themselves forward to work in nursing homes that have been struggling staff-wise due to Covid-19.

The knock-on effect to this meant these carers could not work again in the community until they had safely isolated.

Also they bravely put themselves at risk to ensure the most vulnerable in society receive much-needed care.

But not only that, these incredibly special people also had to maintain distance from their family members to ensure their safety during their time working in a Covid environment.

The reason I have written all this down and in my article is this is my first-hand experience of sacrifices our amazing CAREGivers make.

Also I want to plead with people to suck it up and just please follow guidelines.

Don’t let all the efforts of our CAREGivers, front line workers and essential workers be in vein.

We need to really think about the type of Christmas that lies ahead for all of us and make safe plans the meet the recommendations of public health advice.

Recently, an Irish retailer released a heart-warming advertisement depicting a young boy continually checking in with his parent’s to ask, ‘is he really coming?’.

Movingly it turns out to be the boy’s grandfather that he was so anxious to check on and to know if he was coming to visit for Christmas.

Wow! What a lovely ad.

I really hope the advert does not backfire, however, and give people false hope.

It was published this week that up to six counties in Ireland could remain at level 5 of the government’s Covid-19 restrictions for the foreseeable future due to the number of positive cases in their region.

No one knows really what lies ahead of us all in terms of the spread of Covid and the rollout dates for the vaccine.

So for the next three to six months, it’s extremely important that we all do our best to adhere to guidelines.

If you don’t care about doing it for yourself, then maybe spare a thought for all the doctors, nurses, CAREGivers and essential frontline workers that risk their health every day to protect your health and keep the country ticking over.

Also, be mindful of the many businesses that had to shut and some of which won’t open again.

We all need to dig deep and do it together.

Home Instead Senior Care, Marlinstown Office Park, Mullingar - 044 9385260

www.homeinstead.ie