CARE HOMES CRISIS
Families ‘petrified’ after virus deaths
A CARE home boss fears for the future of her family business as people choose to keep vulnerable loved ones at home during the pandemic.
Sue Mattinson, owner of Wyncourt Nursing Home in Timperley, Trafford, says they have more empty beds than ever before in their 23-year history as families fear they have become a ‘death sentence’ for the elderly.
According to official figures, more than 12,000 care home residents have died from Covid-19. The true figure of lives lost both indirectly and directly is thought to be double that.
While care home staff are finally being recognised for the selfless job they do caring for the most vulnerable in society for little financial reward, the future of many of their employers is uncertain as public confidence in the industry waivers.
Analysts Carterwood estimates that average occupancy will decrease to 79 per cent by April next year, with a recovery not predicted until October 2022 or even September 2023 – depending on future spikes of the virus.
Yet Sue, 62, a nurse trained at Great Ormond Street, says she will struggle to keep her home open beyond 12 months if occupancy continues on its current trend – with 26 of her 34 beds filled and zero residents on a usually-full waiting list.
She insists that they are now wellequipped to deal with the pandemic and that families should not see care homes ‘as a death sentence.’
She said: “This is the first time in 23 years that we haven’t had people waiting to come in. “People are petrified, they don’t want to go into a community setting because they think it’s a death sentence. “We have a respite bed funded by Trafford council for palliative care, where people come to give carers a break, but people are cancelling.
“They are managing at home instead.”
Like around half of care homes in
Greater Manchester, Wyncourt did suffer an outbreak of Covid-19, with eight residents falling ill, two of whom died.
Sue, whose home caters for both the elderly and younger people who need palliative care, says the virus was brought in when a resident returned from hospital having been admitted with COPD.
She says the ordeal was incredibly stressful, but that they got through it with quality nursing, GP support and lots of fluids for those residents who didn’t need hospitalisation.
The other six patients have recovered and all residents have now tested negative for the virus.
Sue added: “I think there will always be a climate of fear for everyone but the general public can be reassured that care homes can look after residents with Covid and they can recover.
“We have the correct knowledge and PPE now to care for them.”
Sue, whose business has a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, added: “We are struggling financially, I question if I’m going to a have a business in a year’s time.
“If this goes on for longer than a year I won’t be able to afford it.
“I need to fill 27 beds to break even and I’m already at 26 beds.”
Their difficulties have been compounded by the rocketing prices of PPE.
Sue, who says stockists have at times told her they have diverted PPE to the NHS, said: “We had bought extra when we saw this coming but we have struggled with masks, although now I’ve found a good supply direct from China.
“At the moment the difficult one is disposable aprons
“And prices are rocketing.
“I would normally pay £9 for a box of 50 masks and now it’s between £50 and £60.
“Aprons which were £9 a roll are now up to £30. In emergencies we can get them from the Manchester hub - but that is only for emergencies.”
On the government’s ‘protective ring’ for care homes, she added: “I don’t think the government acted quickly enough on anything. Care homes were an afterthought.
“I think they have directed all support
I don’t think the government acted quickly enough. Care homes were an afterthought
Sue Mattinson
to the NHS and did forget about nursing homes and I do think now they are trying to make up for it. “But now we’re getting free infection control training – to me that’s too late in the day to be offered this.
“Things like advice on FFP3 masks which the government could have advised us on earlier, they could have helped too. Everything just seemed to hit us very quickly. We needed testing earlier too.”
She added: “This is a hard industry to fill, there are low wages and it’s a difficult job.
“It’s vocational and not for you if you want a good social life and don’t want to work Christmas and bank holidays.
“We have to adapt for people. “I just hope we have an industry at the end of it. I hope we can fill beds and that people don’t lose faith in the care industry.
“I’m really proud of our home. It’s a family business and I’m desperate for it to continue.
“Both my in-laws came here, my mother was here. The way I run our home is how I want to be cared for when I’m older.”
She added: “The families who are already with us have been absolutely amazing, very, very supportive. We are really, really lucky with the residents that we’ve got.”