Heroic staff go into 24/7 quarantine for a MONTH with OAPs
IT IS an act of selflessness few would consider, but a dozen members of staff at a Scottish care home have sacrificed their own family time to spend a month living with their residents in order to protect them from the coronavirus.
The voluntary ‘lock in’ at St David’s in Forfar, Angus, began on March 19 – a week before the official UK lockdown – and was the only way the devoted carers could ensure their elderly charges were fully shielded from exposure to Covid-19.
The generous gesture has involved owner Ivan Cornford sleeping on a mattress under his desk for the past three weeks – while 11 colleagues are taking it in shifts to share bedrooms.
But it has not been doom and gloom indoors, with lots of entertainment organised for the residents.
Last night, Mr Cornford, 59, said: ‘It’s been a lot of fun – every day, laughter.
‘Fun with residents, chatting about things. Just little activities, baking, reminiscing, art stuff, filmwatching. There has been a beetle drive, little singalongs. Every evening about 8pm some of the staff will get together and have a glass of wine with the residents. It’s the best party – the only legal party – in Scotland, I think.
‘We also have a balcony which overlooks a car park, so we have a system where people can book a slot between 2pm and 4pm and come and chat to their relatives over the balcony. So they get to see everyone.’
Mr Cornford said the team had taken the decision for safety reasons, after becoming concerned about the quality of official government advice.
He added: ‘We had seen the virus was coming and we weren’t clear what our best response would be.
‘There wasn’t any clear guidance coming out. When you think back, that was before the lockdown and everything. And the advice was just to wash hands while singing Happy Birthday.
‘We thought that if we could give ourselves four weeks we would at least see how it was all playing out.’ Fortunately, he had improved the property,
adding more rooms which were yet to be occupied. Soon, he had a team of four male and eight female workers, including two chefs and a domestic assistant.
The oldest is 63, while the youngest is his own son, Chester, who is 24.
Mr Cornford, whose wife, Lisa, remained outside the home and does the shopping for essentials, said: ‘They all said yes without hesitation. There’s a couple of people in each room. And there’s someone under a desk in the office – at the moment that’s me.
‘Lisa is totally behind us – she supports us by doing our shopping.
‘The families have been overwhelmed by the dedication of the staff. Their selflessness has been incredible.’
The ‘St David’s 12’ will finally leave the home on April 20, when the remaining care staff, who have been self-isolating at their own homes, apart from occasional shopping trips, will take over and resume normal shifts patterns to care for the 22 residents.
Mr Cornford has been keeping in constant touch with the ‘outside’ team in the meantime to note if they or their families have developed any symptoms of Covid-19. He has also been perfecting virus control measures for staff, visitors and residents.
Yesterday, care worker Morag Miller, 52, who has been part of the lock-in, said it had been absolutely the right decision.
She said: ‘We had to do something. We don’t think we are extraordinary, it was just the right thing to do.’
Fellow care worker Izzy Pringle, 58, said: ‘I’ve been FaceTiming my husband and two daughters and grand-daughter every night so I can keep in touch that way. Coming out of here is going to be emotional, we’ve all become so close.
A third care worker Lynn Morrison, 54, has been sharing a room with Izzy, which they’ve nicknamed the ‘Shangri-la Suite’.
She said: ‘It was a case of whatever was best for residents. If their wellbeing is better with us here, then that’s where I’ll be.
‘It does feel a bit like we’re living in a bubble though. When I watch the news it’s hard to believe what’s going on outside.’
Christine Macrae is one of two resident cooks. The 53-year-old said: ‘Sealing off the home was definitely the right thing to do.
‘A lot of the residents are vulnerable and if we can protect them by doing this then we can go to bed at night and sleep easy.’
She added: ‘A lot of the residents like to come and sit with us at night. We’re getting more involved with their life stories.
‘They’re telling us things that they wouldn’t normally tell us. It’s been a very special time for us.’