WE’VE ALL BEEN BETRAYED OVER CARE HOME PROMISES
Labour MSP slams the Government over restricting access to residents
Care home residents and their families have been betrayed by the Scottish Government, it has been claimed.
The furious rebuke came from families and campaigners, who said assurances from ministers had come to nothing.
There has been no change to visiting guidance over Christmas – despite an easing of lockdown restrictions for the general public.
No care home residents have been vaccinated after six days of the Pfizer roll-out. This comes after assurances they would be given priority.
However, the Scottish Government have said inoculations are scheduled to start tomorrow.
Despite fatal outbreaks of Covid-19 at care homes across the country, infect ious patients are still allowed to be transferred from hospitals. The Sunday Mail has been campaigning for safe visiting procedures using PPE and testing, which would allow families to be reunited with loved ones.
But only a handful of care homes are following guidance and the majority of fami l ies wi l l neither see nor get to hug their loved ones at Christmas.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, whose mother is in a care home, last week invited Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to hold cross-party talks on the issue. However, despite assurances a meeting could take place, he is yet to receive a date.
Findlay said: “It is very depressing that thousands of families have still not seen any progress – despite the promise of cross- party talks given directly to me.
“Concerned relatives have been pleading for months for more to be done on this issue and nothing has happened.
“They have been betrayed by this Government. Time and again, the rhetoric simply doesn’t meet the reality.”
Some relatives have told how the first time they got to be with their loves ones since March was when they were dying. Other families are now trying to remove relatives f r om care homes so t he y c an have contact. Dozens of doctors, health professionals, politicians and families last week signed an open letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon demanding action.
It’s estimated that 300 Scottish care home residents are dying every week in virtual isolation – the majority from non- Covid-related illnesses.
Experts have warned that thousands more lives could be lost as elderly residents give up and “turn their faces to the wall” due to thet devastating loneliness of lockdowlockdown.
Louise Milne told howh she only got to hold and hug her father, David Somervi l le, 75, who had been in lockdown for seven months,m when his care home called to tell her he was dying.
Distillery worker Louise,L 47, from Lenzie, near Glasgow, ssaid: “People who
have havebeenfigh been fighting to see their loved ones in care homes should be careful what they wish for.
“When you finally do see your dad, mum, brother or sister, it can be devastating. They’ve been ravaged by loneliness and depression.
“I had wished, hoped, prayed and begged to be allowed to hold my dad’s hand since March.
“I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him that I love him – let him know he had not been forgotten or abandoned.
“Well, I was granted that wish to be with him on his final journey and it wasn’t how I’d hoped it would be.
“I dreamed of cuddles and laughter with my big strong, loving daddy. Instead, it was tears, heartache and hugging hug a bag of bones.
“I’I’ve no doubt dad would still be b with us today if we’d been granted gr meaningful visits earlier.” Retired ironmonger David passed away aw on November 29. The dad of two had ha fought Parkinson’s disease for years yea before going into a care when his round-the- clock needs could no longer lon be met at home by wife Alicia. He H was among thousands of care home hom residents across the country who were wer plunged into months of isolation when whe the Covid-19 outbreak started in inM March.
Louise Lo added: “He deteriorated at a shockingly sho fast rate when the doors were closed and I believe suffering from lack of contact caused that to happen.
He became depressed, thinking he’d been abandoned. He lost interest in food and became weaker by the day.
“He went from a 44in waist to a 32in between March and July.
“We finally got a compassionate visit on November 3 but he was barely responsive and I thought he had been sedated.
“We got a call from the home three days later to tell us he was nearing the end. But the more we touched him and spoke to him, the more he began coming around.
“I’ve no doubt he’d be with us today if we’d been able to be with him for the last seven months.
“He fought for another 20 days. Sadly, we won’t get hugs at Christmas but this needs to be highlighted to stop many more families suffering.”
Last week, campaigners and celebrities added their name to the open letter to Sturgeon highlighting what they call a “human rights emergency”.
They include leading surgeon Emma Hamilton, consultant anaesthetist Chris Mowatt, TV presenter Dougie Donnelly and Olympic curling gold medallist Rhona Howie.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, the Scottish Tories’ Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie also signed up, along with sol icitor Patrick McGuire, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer and Unite general secretary Pat Rafferty.