Coronavirus diary, Monday 30 April

No sad sorrowful statistics today. No comment on the good, the bad and the ugly in this upside down world of 2020. Just some thoughts from me on the women and men who are looking after the 'vulnerable' - the carers. The applause that echoed throughout the land was a uniquely expressed tribute to the scores of thousands in our health services. They all deserve every clap in that simple, spontaneous act of recognition and gratitude. The carers deserve the same. In our homes, and in nursing and residential homes, they are a lifeline. They offer comfort and reassurance. They love their work and it shows. 

I am probably one of the luckiest, most privileged of the vulnerable. At 93 I still have an interesting, comfortable life, thanks to carers, a relief to my family. Rosemary, my wife, and I had lived for more than 20 years in our seaside flat in Penarth and were carrying on, sustained by the help of our carers. 

Rosemary, Robert and Beverley, around 1970

That changed over the past few years with the deaths of Rosemary and our daughter Beverley. Rosemary, who had been losing her sight for some years, fell in our bathroom and died in hospital 13 days later. Beverley, in her mid sixties, who had bravely struggled to recover after being in hospital paralysed for months, died of a heart attack in her home. After 66 years of marriage I was alone, facing a new, uncertain life. But happily, I am now living in a new home, Sunrise Cardiff. I have new carers who have transformed my life and health. They, too, have families and the worries of lockdown yet to all of us, from the oldest at 103 to the youngsters in their eighties, they have shown their dedication and commitment 24 hours a day, smiling and efficient. They give us our medication, chat to us, keep us safe and help to entertain us. They are friends in need. Friends, indeed.