We are at a loss to know why @DHSCgovuk
is incapable of making swift decisions at a time of crisis. As the country unlocks, care providers are in the dark as to what is permissible in terms of visitors to their residents, or indeed residents leaving their homes on visits.— Care England (@CareEngland) July 7, 2020
It’s an unassuming tweet, not shouty like many of the replies, but it calls attention to an issue picked up on by the BBC
Do you have a family member in a care home? Leading charities say relatives of residents with dementia should be treated as key workers to allow them to visit. Do you agree?
🎙️@NickyAACampbell + @claremcdonnell1
🎧Listen via @BBCSounds
💻Read more – https://t.co/kLRjkQQf7F
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) July 10, 2020
Whereas other parts of the UK have adapted to the changing nature of the pandemic, in England there has been no change to the guidance given to Care Homes and to Care Home visitors in April
In April, the DHSC said in a document that all “family and friends should be advised not to visit care homes, except next of kin in exceptional situations such as end of life”.
In Scotland, care homes that are virus-free for 28 days were able to accept visitors from 3 July.
In Northern Ireland, as of Monday, care homes that are free from the virus can allow one person to visit at a time, with a second person accommodated “where possible”.
In Wales, visits have been allowed to care homes and their residents since 1 June, provided they take place outside and 2m social distancing rules and hygiene procedures are followed.
So what is going on in England and how is Government justifying keeping care home residents away from their families to the great distress of both?
Care England are in doubt this is negligence from a Government which has recently criticized the care sector for failing during the pandemic.
Visitor guidance should have been a priority for @DHSCgovuk given that care homes are central to fighting this dreadful pandemic – says @ProfMartinGreen
— Care England (@CareEngland) July 7, 2020
Clearly there is frustration on both sides, but caught in the middle are care home residents and their families. Residents are deteriorating for want of the stimulation and affection of their loved ones while relatives and friends grieve that they can’t alleviate the loneliness of loved ones locked inside.
Care homes were hit hardest by the first wave of COVID-19. This is an unseen second wave of suffering. Government could and should lift visitor restrictions in line with the rest of the UK- without delay.
