Care home cuddle hopes dashed for thousands of families
THOUSANDS of families have had their hopes of hugging loved ones in care homes dashed.
Ministers have banned ‘closecontact’ visits for anyone in the new Tier Four areas.
It means plans to hold hands with elderly relatives cannot go ahead despite the millions of rapid Covid tests that Boris Johnson promised would mean families could be reunited. Guests will now only be able to see their loved ones separated by floor-to-ceiling plastic screens or from the outside.
Some major care companies and councils had already refused to use the lateral flow device testing kits amid concerns over their accuracy. Last
LET THEM HOLD HANDS THIS CHRISTMAS
night Diane Mayhew from campaign group Rights for Residents said: ‘When the Prime Minister promised they’d be able to hug and hold hands by Christmas, relatives were overjoyed at the prospect of finally having meaningful contact with their loved ones. This longed-for reunion would have been the best Christmas present of all but hopes have once again been dashed.’
She added: ‘Now those living in Tier Four face yet another of Boris Johnson’s broken promises, as many will be denied visits at all.’
Labour’s care spokesman Liz Kendall said: ‘It is essential the Government makes care home residents a top priority for the vaccine, so we can safely bring families back together as quickly as possible.’
Until Saturday night, care home visits were allowed across the whole of England and the Government had backed this newspaper’s campaign by sending out 16million lateral flow device kits so that relatives could be tested quickly before being allowed inside to hug their loved ones.
Many families had booked care home visits for this week and wrapped gifts to hand over.
But after scientists warned of the mutant strain of the virus spreading across the South East, ministers brought in draconian new curbs for London, Kent, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and parts of Essex, Hampshire and Surrey. As a result, this will be the first Christmas that Joanna Wright, 59, will not be able to see her mother, Marion Mitchell, 90.
Mrs Mitchell is a resident at Sunrise of Purley care home near Croydon, south London. Luckily Mrs Wright was able to squeeze in a visit with her mother on Friday – before the capital went into lockdown.
Mrs Wright, from Sanderstead, Croydon, said: ‘I am so pleased to have had a meaningful visit with my mum just in the nick of time. I don’t know how long it will be now until I next see her.’
Fiona Carragher, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘We beg the Government to act with compassion and swiftly turn this around to allow meaningful visits to continue safely, with regular testing.’