DHSC: Homecare workers to be tested weekly for COVID-19 - Alzheimer’s Society responds

Today, The Department of Health and Social Care have announced that care workers looking after people in their own homes will be offered weekly coronavirus tests from Monday the Government announced today. Those working for CQC registered providers will receive weekly PCR tests to administer at home, which will help identify more asymptomatic cases and protect care users who are more vulnerable to the virus.

Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s said: 

'For months we’ve been pushing for regular testing for carers of people with dementia, whether in a care home or at home. The huge spike in non-Covid deaths among people with dementia in the first four months of the pandemic shows how damaging interruptions to care, and isolation, have been – so making sure these home visits could continue safely should have been a top priority for government.

'It’s good tests are now finally available for homecare workers – who have no doubt been terrified of spreading infection from visit to visit – but it’s frankly shocking it’s taken this long. They should have been prioritised as highly as care home and NHS workers.'

'We’re finally moving in the right direction, but the government needs to keep its foot on the pedal and expand the care home visitor testing pilot across the whole country as quickly as possible. Only then will every person with dementia be able to safely get the care they need.'