National disgrace unfolding in care homes around us

EARLY next month, the country will celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the moment at which we knew the Second World War was over, in Europe at least.

The Government has even moved the May bank holiday from May 4 to May 8 - a Monday to a Friday - to allow for celebrations.

Last summer, much was made of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the military event which changed the course of the war.

We are rightly proud of what our country did in the face of Fascism, and the bravery of many from our Nation.

Yet at a time when more parallels are being drawn to the Second World War that at any time since the War, we’re surely failing so many of those people who did so much for us to have our freedom.

The Government’s response to Coronavirus in elderly care homes has been little short of a national disgrace.

Care homes are an important part of the community.

They provide a safe haven for people when they are no longer in a position to fully look after themselves, or rather they should.

For that to happen, staff at the care homes need the right support and equipment.

In the case of keeping residents of care homes safe from Coronavirus, that should have meant a plentiful supply of personal protective equipment, and testing in care homes when needed.

In many cases, that simply hasn’t happened.

Caring staff, many of whom are only earning just above the living wage, have been left in an awful position, expected to care for people at the most vulnerable time of their lives, without the right equipment to protect either their residents, or themselves.

It’s a national disgrace, and one happening very close to each and every one of us.

Our country’s political attitude to social care for the elderly has at best been shambolic over the last two decades. This isn’t just an angry rage at Westminster, shocking decisions have been made locally too.

The reason so many working in the care sector are paid so little is because Governments and councils have resisted increasing the amount they pay for the services.

It took Surrey County Council threatening to hold a vote to ask residents in the county to pay more for the Government to allow more widespread increases in council tax to cover an increase in elderly care funding.

Even then, the extra 2% is only a fraction of what is needed.

Lancashire County Council could have led from the front here, banged the drum loudly for needing more money to deal with a funding gap in adult and elderly social care.

Yet it’s been relatively silent at a time when it should have been standing up for the county’s old folks.

Questions need to be asked of the leadership.

It’s almost 20 years since LCC began closing its care homes, opting instead to pay - in some cases - for residents to go into private care, or receive visits at home instead.

In many cases, those visits turned out to be 15 or 30 minutes a day of care, with total isolation save for a TV or radio in between.

A disgraceful way to treat our elderly.

Ravengarth in Haslingden, Whinberry View in Rawtenstall (now a housing estate) and Brookville in Whitworth all closed.

We can only hope the county council, in 2020, has been doing its bit to get PPE to at least the care homes where it funds residents.

It’s taken Coronavirus to expose just how badly we treat the social care sector.

The very fact we don’t see it as part of the NHS - regardless of provider - is shocking.

If we learn anything from Coronavirus, it surely must be that the people who fought for our freedom deserve better than to be a last-thought of our society when the going gets tough.