Families in care home ‘ tragedy’
MSP’s call to end visit bans
Families being kept apart from their relatives in care homes need more support through the Covid crisis.
That’s according to Ayr MSP, John Scott, who says heartbreaking splits are leaving elderly residents “upset and confused” at going months without their loved ones.
It comes amid growing concerns that increasing numbers of homes are stopping all visits in a bid to keep the virus out.
Mr Scott this week raised the issue with Scottish health secretary, Jeane Freeman, in the Scottish Parliament.
And he asked for assurances that more could be done to stop the “unfolding tragedy” of broken families.
In response, Ms Freeman said: “I am very glad that Mr Scott has asked that question, because there are a number of points that I need to make.
“Forty per cent of our care homes already meet the criteria, which are that they have to be Covid free for 28 days and they have to take part in the care home staff testing programme.
“The 40 per cent of care homes that meet those criteria already have indoor visiting, and outdoor visiting remains.
“I, too, am receiving emails from family members who tell me that their care home has now stopped all visiting, saying that it has been stopped as a requirement of the Scottish Government.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. “I intend to write to all care homes, as I did about testing, to remind them that restrictions do not impose additional restrictions on care home visiting.”
She added: “On the contrary, part of what we are trying to do with the new restrictions that the First Minister announced is not only to keep education open but to protect and keep our care homes open to visiting.
“I had the benefit of a discussion with the
Care Home Relatives Scotland Facebook group about how we could increase the length of time of indoor visits and the frequency of those visits for the designated indoor visitor.
“We are actively looking with our care homes’ clinical and professional advisory group to see how we can do that, because I would like to be able to, in a way that continues to protect our residents— of course that is our primary objective— but also ensures that we can allow family members to be with their loved ones for longer, to eat with them and to have as close to normal visiting as we can possibly manage.”
Scott: It is an unfolding tragedy in Ayrshire