THE CARE HOME

They’re the army of potential victims no one talks about: our 500,000 care home residents – and their helpers who get no routine tests... yet are moved from one home to another

The nation’s half-million care home residents face becoming the ‘abandoned victims’ of the coronavirus crisis, campaigners warned last night.

The disease has already torn through dozens of care homes, leaving them looking like ‘war zones’ and cases are expected to explode in the next few days unless urgent action is taken.

Now bosses are pleading for access to coronavirus tests amid fears carers and agency workers who do shifts in several homes a week are spreading it in multiple high-risk locations.

They also warned they are being forced to play ‘Russian roulette’ with residents’ lives after the Government asked them to provide beds for untested patients discharged from over-run hospitals.

MPs described the treatment of care home residents as an ‘unseen national scandal of untold proportions’ and accused the Government of abandoning the elderly when they need help the most.

It raises the horrific spectre of the scenes on the Continent, where hundreds of care homes have been ravaged by the disease, and in some cases staff have left the helpless victims to their fate.

Care home bosses also revealed they had been told no one over 75 will be treated in hospital if they contract the virus.

Agency and temporary workers play a vital role in the care system and can often work in four or five homes a week.

But it is believed none of the 1.3million social care workers – who also provide home help – has been tested unless they have become ill or have been in hospital.

Peter Kyle MP, who has written to Boris Johnson to warn of the dangers, said: ‘The lack of strategy for care homes is killing people. how can they say that I, as an MP, have to stay home but somebody working in four or five care homes in a week is allowed to work and not allowed to be tested?

‘It’s unimaginably stupid. If the virus gets into a care home, it will kill. The only way to keep it out is to test the people who go in.’

At the Oaklands Nursing home in his hove constituency, it took ten days to test a 94-year-old man who later died from the virus. During the wait, 14 other residents and seven staff developed symptoms, one of whom is now in intensive care.

Most of the staff were agency who workers also worked in other care homes – at least one of which has now confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Linda Wilson, Scottish regional officer for the Unite union, said some of the lowest paid workers in society were being asked to put their lives – and those of their families – on the line without the proper equipment and testing that would protect them and care home residents.

She said it was commonplace for care home workers to be attached to agencies and to have other jobs at the same time.‘ There should definitely be testing for everyone going in,’ she said.

‘A lot of people don’t have symptoms until seven or ten days later, so if you were testing you would be able to eradicate what you were taking in to the most vulnerable people in our society.’

Government guidance issued this week suggests care homes may have to accept new residents who have coronavirus. It says hospitals will not routinely test patients entering care homes, meaning managers will be unaware if returning residents are infectious but not showing symptoms.

It said: ‘Some patients may have Covid-19… all of these patients can be safely cared for in a care home if this guidance is followed.’

Andy Geach, boss of Shedfield Lodge care home in hampshire, said he has been asked to provide beds to ease struggling hospitals, but is worried about putting his existing residents at risk. Mr Geach added: ‘We do not want to play Russian roulette with people’s lives.’

Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents 850 care homes, said: ‘When we move to testing, I think we share the same concerns that our colleagues in Care england and Care Wales have.’

Another care home manager said a GP has warned her that no one over 75 in her home will be treated in hospital if they contract the virus because it would be a waste of resources.

The health Department said: ‘The Government is determined to provide all necessary support for staff.’

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‘Unimaginably stupid’