Care home staff at breaking point

Deaths have now become daily occurrence at Tayside facility

A worker at a Tayside care home where more than a dozen residents have died in the last month has said colleagues are buckling under the strain of chronic understaffing and shortages of protective kit.

The woman said employees were terrified of spreading the coronavirus among the people in their care.

At least 13 people are known to have died at the South Grange Care Home in Monifieth in April, but owners Barchester would not confirm the total.

The whistleblower said the death toll was even higher, and that 15 carers had tested positive for the infection. “We usually see a death here once every couple of months,” she said. “It’s a daily occurrence now and sometimes worse.”

She spoke out after it emerged that more than a third of Tayside and Fife coronavirus deaths have been in care homes.

A Tayside care worker has said dealing with daily death, chronic under-staffing and PPE shortages has left her and colleagues struggling to cope.

The worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said the difficulties faced at Monifieth’s South Grange Nursing Home over the past month have left her on the verge of quitting the sector.

She has vowed to remain for the sake of residents but said the pressure is like nothing she has ever faced in her career.

At least 13 residents are known to have died at the home since the start of April, but the home’s owners, Barchester, will not confirm the actual total or how many are suspected to have Covid-19.

The care worker said a minimum of 17 residents have died since April 6, adding she thinks more than 15 carers have tested positive.

“We usually see a death here, I’d say, on average once every couple of months.

“It’s a daily occurrence now and sometimes worse. One day, there were three in the space of just a few hours.

“It’s horrible and so difficult to deal with. These are people and they have families.”

Changing guidelines on protective equipment in homes, as well as a reported national shortage, has been a major issue in recent weeks across the UK.

Unions raised concerns at the start of the month that the Scottish Government had not been clear enough in its guidance.

They said the guidance recommended staff should only wear a mask when the person they were caring for was suspected of having the virus and they would be within two metres of them.

However, the Scottish Government has since made it clear carers should wear masks whenever they feel it is appropriate.

The care worker said: “I think homes have often been able to say they are sticking to the government guidelines but in my opinion, the guidance should be for carers to wear full PPE when with a resident.

“We think it can spread even when someone has no symptoms or just mild symptoms so why take a risk with vulnerable people?

“A manager recently shouted at staff to take off their face masks and said it scares the residents. To me, that is crazy.

“I think residents understand and appreciate why we’d be wearing PPE.

“On another occasion the same apron was reused by multiple carers when going in and out of a resident’s room.

She added low staffing levels due to self-isolation and sickness is putting even more pressure on remaining workers.

Nearly 20% of homes have flagged up concerns over staffing levels to the industry watchdog since the start of April.

Help is available through NHS nursing support or agency workers via the Care Inspectorate but some homes are still facing shortages.

“We are chronically understaffed,” she said.

The Courier asked Barchester about the claims regarding working conditions in South Grange but the firm failed to respond.