The plight of care home residents since the start of the pandemic has been a constant worry for their families and, for the government, the source of blame for contributing to the appalling death rate.
There have been heartrending stories of elderly, ill residents not seeing their families for eight months. and of last farewells for dying loved ones, a peep through a window.
It was denounced as inhuman, a scandal that began when hospitals, trying to cope with a flood of coronavirus patients, offloaded hundreds of infected ones to care homes, sparking mass deaths.
At last there is some relief, with homes about to open up to visitors. New testing methods will enable, residents to meet face-to-face, to have that longed for hug.
I have had my first visitor for months, my grand daughter Ria. We met for an hour in the ground floor home library.
Ria was kitted out in PPE. It was a lovely hour although my poor hearing did not help the conversation.
My son Robert is due this weekend after the lifting of the lockdown in England - his home is in tier 2 - but with the sudden worsening of the situation in Wales he is worried that the border may be closed.
The good news is that at Christmas I may be able to welcome family and friends into my own 'home' for the first time for nine months.
Sunrise has been chosen as one of 15 homes in Wales to fast test visitors which will do away with visiting pods and the rigmarole of PPE.
Now that is something to look forward to.
No comments:
Post a Comment