Brendoncare Meadway Selected For Trial Coronavirus Testing

Winchester-based charity, The Brendoncare Foundation has been selected as one of 20 care homes across the country to take part in a four-week trial for rapid testing of care home visitors, thome chosen is the Brendoncare Meadway in Winchester.

The rapid testing will mean that relatives will be tested on arrival at the home, by a trained member of staff. After a 30-minute isolation and a negative test, the relative will be equipped with personal protective equipment before seeing their loved one in their own room.

Lisa Wallace, Brendoncare Meadway’s Home Manager, said, “This is fantastic news. We are so looking forward to seeing our residents and their relatives hug each other again after such a long time. During the past few months, we have been helping our residents and their families stay in touch via video or phone calls. There have been garden and window visits too, but this will be the first time that a relative will be able to visit a resident’s room.”

When John Cutter, a resident at Brendoncare Meadway, was told that he would be able to hug his daughters he said, “Hug them? That’s what I’ve been longing to do since Christmas. That will be marvellous. This is the best home north of the South Pole.”