Urgent calls for meaningful contact as families face heartbreak of watching loved ones 'fade' in care homes amid Coronavirus pandemic

Thousands of people across Sheffield have endured a heartbreaking eight months without hugs or even holding hands with loved ones in care homes as they watched their condition deteriorate from a distance.
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Now families, politicians and expert organisations are demanding an urgent change to the rules to enable more meaningful contact.

It comes as the Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a pilot giving key visitors access to tests in some care homes in the south in the hope of getting testing in every care home by Christmas.

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Partners Dr David Clarke and Carolyn Waudby, who live and work in Sheffield and both have elderly mothers in care homes, are among many in the city who sent letters lobbying their MP to take action.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Relatives stage a demonstration over care home coronavirus visiting rules outside the Scottish Parliament on September 16, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Families gathered outside parliament to lobby MSPs, Care Home Relatives Scotland group wants to see more access for relatives in care homes to improve the quality of life for residents. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Relatives stage a demonstration over care home coronavirus visiting rules outside the Scottish Parliament on September 16, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Families gathered outside parliament to lobby MSPs, Care Home Relatives Scotland group wants to see more access for relatives in care homes to improve the quality of life for residents. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Relatives stage a demonstration over care home coronavirus visiting rules outside the Scottish Parliament on September 16, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Families gathered outside parliament to lobby MSPs, Care Home Relatives Scotland group wants to see more access for relatives in care homes to improve the quality of life for residents. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

They wrote: “The Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia UK are pressing for visits to be allowed due to the impact this lengthy incarceration is having upon the cognitive health of the elderly.

“But for practical purposes nothing has changed, in fact it has got worse. Since the Tier 3 restrictions were introduced families have been unable to see their relatives at all. As we said in August, for the care home residents themselves, many of whom have dementia, this is bewildering and distressing. For their next of kin, who are watching them fade before their eyes, it is heartbreaking.

“None of this is a criticism of the care homes whose staff have battled – literally – through frightening and gruelling circumstances, undervalued and underpaid by the government.”

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This week provided some hope as the Government started a pilot giving key visitors access to tests to enable meaningful contact across 20 care homes in Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall.

Olivia Blake MPOlivia Blake MP
Olivia Blake MP

But it will still be some weeks before Sheffield could see this, as a phased rollout across the country depends on the pilot’s success and transmission rates following lockdown.

In the meantime, current methods for visiting suggested by the government – such as floor-to-ceiling, prison-like screens – were heavily criticised by politicians and expert organisations who said it does not enable meaningful contact, may distress those with dementia and even backfire in care homes that do not have the resources and therefore may shut down visits altogether.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics figures the leading cause of death in September was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, while Covid-19 did not appear in the top ten.

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The Alzheimer’s Society also reported an unexpected increase of 5,000 more dementia deaths not related to coronavirus during the first lockdown, which it said is likely a result of prolonged social isolation and disruption to care.

Of the total care home population, 70 per cent have dementia, and a survey by the society also showed 80 per cent of family members saw their loved one’s condition worsen before their eyes under new restrictive measures.

Kate Lee, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We’re disappointed on behalf of people affected by dementia that the government is yet to give family carers key worker status and access to PPE and regular testing.

“It’s essential for meaningful human contact, which you just can’t get through a piece of glass, to provide care safely and to limit the spread of the virus – anything less is completely unacceptable.”

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Olivia Blake, MP for Sheffield Hallam, wrote to the health secretary urging him to make at least one informal carer per care home resident a designated key worker, with access to training, Covid-19 testing, vaccinations and PPE. Where this is not possible, she called on him to put appropriate arrangements in place to maintain contact.

In her letter she added: “For those suffering from dementia, social isolation has consequences for their condition. Without exercising their cognitive skills, it makes it far more likely they will lose them.

“I urge you to implement these measures so we can provide the support people with dementia desperately need during the pandemic.”

Other MPs across the city including Louise Haigh, Sheffield Heeley, and Gill Furniss, Brightside and Hillsborough, supported the calls for residents to be given more meaningful contact with loved ones too.

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There is also a countrywide campaign called Rights for Residents, led by partners Jenny Morrison and Diane Mayhew. The group of families are also calling to end 30-minute time limits on visiting and indemnify care providers against legal action if a visitor takes the virus into a home.

Almost 200,000 people have signed their petition and a fundraising page raised nearly £11,000.

Greg Fell, director of public health in Sheffield, said: “Testing nominated care home visitors is certainly something we are looking at to provide an additional line of defence, provided the science and practicalities stack up. We are keen to support safe visiting but all necessary protections must be in place and individually risk assessed.

“Sadly, a negative test is not an automatic route to close contact, as visitors will need to be in PPE and will still be required to observe social distancing as far as practical. The fact remains the infection risk is still present even when the test result is negative. Testing is important, but it’s just one of the infection prevention measures, not a passport in itself.”

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In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.