Residents are "overjoyed" at Lawton Manor Care Home in Church Lawton, as Barchester Healthcare has implemented an indoor visiting suite.

This means residents can continue to spend time with their loved ones in the upcoming months, in addition to the outdoor visiting that has been on offer.

Rebecca Whitehouse, General Manager at the home, said: "The visiting suite has been a much-welcomed development for our residents at Lawton Manor to continue to receive much looked forward to visits from their loved ones, as the weather changes.

"Alongside the continued offer of outdoor visiting, the indoor visiting suite visits are well organised, and a lot of safety measures have been put in place to ensure they are Covid secure.

"It was wonderful to see how happy it made the residents and their relatives in a warm and cosy environment."

The care home has been carefully planning and preparing for this moment.

The visiting suite has been designed with both comfort and safety in mind and has recently been adapted from a room which was accessible internally by residents and externally by visitors.

The room is like a living room with comfortable furnishings, and heated to create a welcoming and warm environment, and has an intercom system fitted.

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This means residents can clearly communicate, and engage in conversation, whilst being able to see their friends and family through a Perspex glass divider, fitted for safety to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Infection control protocols and safe social distancing are in place for every visit, including a hand sanitiser station before entry.

Cleaning at Lawton Manor Care Home will take place after each visit to ensure chairs, seats, hard surfaces including windowsills, and the Perspex glass divider are wiped down appropriately.