No leadership And no humanity
TV sports host Alison hits out over response to open letter
Nicola Sturgeon and Jeane Freeman have been accused of showing “no humanity” in response to demands for action on Scotland’s care home visiting scandal.
Dozens of doctors, health professionals, politicians and families signed an open letter in December calling for an end to months of devastating coronavirus isolation.
They warned thousands of lives were being lost as elderly residents gave up and “turned their faces to the wall” while backing emergency legislation to give families access.
But signatories have been left in despair after Health Secretary Freeman responded to the letter on First Minister Sturgeon’s behalf.
She gave no indication that action would be taken and instead passed the buck, claiming: “While the Scottish Government can provide guidance, it is right that we allow Directors of Public Health make a decision on whether it is safe for visits to happen in care homes in their area.”
TV presenter Alison Walker, whose parents are both in care homes, said: “I despair with this response.
“Nothing about the importance of caregivers and the role they play in their relatives care and the decline of residents due to the isolation and separation.
“My Mum is prime example of this. I’ve advocated a designated caregiver to be given essen
tial
They could put through legislation in 20 mins if it was important to them
worker status since June last year. This just shows how react ive the Government. Nothing proactive at all. No leadership and no humanity. It’s just awful.
“I was told my care home staff still needed to be trained. Everyone is just hanging off making any decisions – fobbing us off all the time with platitudes.
“They could put through emergency legislation in 20 minutes tomorrow if they felt it was important enough. They’ve done that for so many other things during Covid. Why don’t care home residents and their families matter?”
Campaigners and celebrities added their names to the open letter to Sturgeon – which was published in the Mail – 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 medal list Rhona Howie. Former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, Scottish Tories’ Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie also signed up, along with sol icitor Patrick McGuire and a host of union leaders.
Neil Findlay MSP, whose mum is in a care home, criticised the response as offering nothing to help the human rights of residents.
He said: “The response from Jeane Freeman is desperately disappointing.
This week, I heard Nicola Sturgeon say Ministers are reflecting on what they could have done better during the Covid crisis.
“One thing for certain is that the lack of care home visiting and family contact has contributed to the death rate of care home residents.
“But it appears that they will be doing nothing differently and social isolation will continue.”
The outcry comes as it was revealed a 97-year-old care home resident has been prescribed antidepressants for the first time in her life to cope with the anguish of isolation.
Great-gran Elsie Walsh suffered an emotional breakdown on her birthday in June after struggling through months of lockdown.
The retired hotel worker’s daughter Lorraine said: “Since lockdown things have gone down hill rapidly, it’s been heartbreaking to see her struggle through that during window visits.
“Things came to a head on her birthday on June 11 when she had a complete emotional breakdown.
“She was crying, she was telling me she was a prisoner, she was saying that she just wanted to die.
“Last week, she was assessed by a mental health consultant and his decision was that she should be prescribed antidepressants.
“It is just so sad to think it has come to this – mum needs her family, not anti-depressants.”
Mum- of- five Elsie, of Mintlaw,
Aberdeenshire has been a widow for 30 years and was brought up on a farm.
Lorraine, 67, a retired care manager, added: “I fully support the Sunday Mail’s Anne’s Law campaign and it should just be common sense that residents can have access to their closest family members.
“Surely when you are having to prescribe anti-depressants to 97-yearolds, it should be a wake-up call that something is going badly wrong.”
Campaigners have warned of an explosion in elderly residents being prescribed depression drugs.
Cathie Russell, founder of the Care Home Relatives Scotland group said: “It’s just another sign of the unspeakable suffering that is being inflicted on these people, and yet still we have nothing being done to solve the crisis.”
The Mail has previously told how 100- year- old Doreen Ti l ly, from Glenrothes, has been prescribed anti-depressants over lockdown. Her great-granddaughter Sonia Dixon is now fighting to remove her from care.