Woman’s fight for home residents to see their families
A WOMAN is fighting for care home residents’ rights after Covid restrictions meant she went a year without being able to visit her 80-year-old mother who has dementia.
Penny Hutchinson, from Halifax, visited mum Yvonne Williamson every morning for three years before the Covid pandemic began, as well as taking turns with her brother to visit every other night.
But Penny was ‘devastated’ when restrictions introduced last March to tackle coronavirus meant she could not see her mother in person.
“When March came we were shut out of my mum’s life with no way to explain to her why, which was pretty devastating,” she said.
“Mum doesn’t understand coronavirus, all she knows is [her children] stopped visiting for a year.
“She still recognises us, thank God. “We worked so hard to do Skype. Mum puts her hand on the screen and doesn’t realise she can’t hold our hands.”
Penny has been able to see her mother since March 8, when care home residents were allowed a single registered visitor.
But she has now joined the Rights for
Residents campaign which is calling on the Government to ensure care home residents have the right to see a family member or friend throughout any future lockdown restrictions.
Yesterday she travelled to London to deliver the group’s petition to Parliament, supported by Labour’s social care spokeswoman Liz Kendall.
The petition has nearly 230,000 signatures and also calls for penalties against any care homes which do not comply with Government guidance on visiting.
“Anybody who doesn’t follow [the rules] needs to be following them,” Penny said. “Too many haven’t realised, they’re not letting people go out for a walk.
“Regardless of what happens, every care home resident has to have the right to see a family member or friend so never again do we leave our most vulnerable alone.”
The campaign comes as the Government relaxed lockdown restrictions for care home residents on Tuesday.
Residents leaving their home for a walk or to visit a loved one’s garden will no longer have to isolate for two weeks on their return.
But those leaving for medical appointments and for overnight visits will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days, it is understood.