MyLife News

We’re developing a schedule, primarily for the people we support, or local people, to book in and spend some time on our Standish site, with social distancing from other people.

It’s a safe way to get your daily exercise in, in 84 acres of beautiful green land. With full hand washing facilities on arrival, we’re offering a guided walk within our facility. Social distancing from other individuals and families will apply.

We are also working to develop the use of our many indoor facilities, for a person with My Life supporting, or with their own support and will be offering a range of resources to help with this.

Please call 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk to book in for either service, or simply to find out more.  

What can I do to protect myself and others?

We’re keeping up to date with all the latest advice from the government, NHS England and Public Health England.

There seems to be so much out there about what you need to do to protect yourself and others from Covid-19, it might seem hard trying to sift through it all. That’s why we’ve put together this information, to make life a bit easier.

Washing your hands

Wash your hands on entering your house and clean your hands frequently each day by washing with soap and water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser. This will help protect you and other people in your home. This step is one of the most effective ways of reducing the risk of passing infection to others.

As well as regularly washing their hands, everyone in your household should avoid touching their faces. 

Laundry and towels

Make sure you all use separate towels from the other people in your house, both for drying yourself after bathing or showering and for hand-hygiene purposes.

Cleaning 

Cleaning of all surfaces needs to be done twice a day. When cleaning you should use your usual household products, i.e. detergents and bleach, as these will be very effective at getting rid of the virus on surfaces.

Clean frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, handrails, remote controls and tabletops, this is particularly important if you have an older or vulnerable person in the house. Wipe down all kitchen surfaces before and after all meals.

If you do share a toilet and bathroom it is important that you clean them every time you use them (for example, wiping surfaces you have encountered). 

Mealtimes and washing the dishes

Use a dishwasher to clean and dry crockery and cutlery. If this is not possible, wash them using your usual washing up liquid and warm water and dry them thoroughly. Try using your own utensils for all meals and drinks, remember to use a separate tea towel for drying these.

Shared spaces 

Keep any shared spaces well ventilated.

Laundry

To minimise the possibility of dispersing virus through the air, do not shake dirty laundry. Wash items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. All dirty laundry can still be washed in the same load.

Waste 

Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin. Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.

We’re continuing to support many of our members and their families in their own homes, so we thought we’d let you know about the extra precautions that we’re taking too.

As well as doing all of the things above, we’re removing all our jewellery and watches before we arrive at someone’s home, so that we can wash our hands effectively. We’re also wearing a complete change of clothes for every shift. 

And what’s the best way to wash your hands? See the diagram below.

The Prime Minister set out clear instructions for this. The single most important action we can all take in fighting coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

People must stay at home and can only go out for food, health reasons or work (if this absolutely cannot be done from home).

If you do have to go out for one of these reasons, stay 2m (6ft) away from people and wash your hands as soon as you get home.  If you want to get fresh air and exercise you should do this close to your home, or in your garden, if you have one.

Advice for people who are classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’

If you are classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’ you will have received a letter from the NHS informing you that you that you must not leave your house.

If you are seen to be ‘extremely vulnerable’ you should minimise all non-essential contact with other people who live with you.  This is to protect those who are at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 from coming into contact with the virus.

The government say that you must also:

• Strictly avoid contact with anyone who is displaying symptoms of Covid-19. These symptoms include a high temperature and/or a new and continuous cough.
• Not attend any gatherings. This includes gatherings of friends and families in private spaces, for example, family homes, weddings and religious services.
• Not go out for shopping, leisure or travel and, when arranging food or medication deliveries, these should be left at the door to minimise contact.
• Ensure that you keep in touch with other people using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media.
• Ensure that you use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services.

This advice will be in place for at least 12 weeks from the day you receive your letter.

If you have received a letter telling you that you are classed as ‘extremely vulnerable,’ or if you believe you fall into this category, you can register on the government website for extra support. You can register yourself, or do this on behalf of someone else, here.

We do understand that self-isolation or social distancing can be hard

Why not try our tips to help you here? 

Remember, we are also here if you need help or advice. Please do call us on 01257 472 900 or email info@my-life.org.uk.

If you’re in self isolation or social distancing, you might be finding it hard not being able to see your friends or do all the things that you usually do.

There are things that you can do to help yourself though.

We’ve received this booklet full of strategies and ideas to boost you and make your situation feel a bit easier.

We thought we’d share it with you.

Not all the ideas will be right for you but you may find some helpful. The booklet will help you create your own toolbox of strategies that you can use if you are feeling upset, worried, confused or angry.

Simply click here to download it.

Further to the Prime Minister’s statement to the nation, we are continuing to do our best for all our members, students, the people we support, their families and our staff, despite these challenging circumstances.

All decisions we have made and are making are in line with government measures to tackle the spread of Covid-19 and are based on the specific needs of each individual concerned. This is a changing situation and we will adapt to it as necessary.

My Life Support

My Life Support is continuing in its current form. Thanks to the commitment of our staff, we are working with all our families to keep support within people’s homes, regardless of the current situation.

My Life Learning

It has been deemed possible for all My Life Learning students to stay at home. This decision was made following a risk assessment with their parents which concluded that all can safely have their needs met at home.

Day Opportunities

Day Opportunities remains open at the current time, however, following the Prime Minister’s statement, many members’ families have made the decision that they should remain at home.

Advocacy

We will continue to support people through our Advocacy service, although face to face meetings will not be possible.

We are currently exploring the different and new ways in which we can continue to support our members, students, the people we support, their families and the community as a whole and will keep you updated on this.

If anyone has any queries or questions relating to this or any other issue we can be contacted 9-5 Mon-Fri on 01257 472 900 or info@my-life.org.uk.