Covid-19 in large number of care homes
NEARLY one in three care homes in Wales has been hit by coronavirus, new figures have shown.
The statistics come after several charities claimed elderly people were being “airbrushed” out of the fatality figures relating to Covid-19 deaths.
When asked by the Echo, Health Minister Vaughan Gething confirmed that, of the 1,073 care homes in Wales, 75 of them had confirmed cases of Covid-19.
On top of this, there were also an additional 217 care homes that had suspected cases.
However, charities have claimed many deaths in elderly people are being airbrushed out of fatality figures and have called on a daily update of coronavirus deaths in the care system, just like deaths in the NHS.
The call follows new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which show Covid-19 contributed to one in seven deaths in Wales last week.
This meant a third more deaths than usual over the seven-day period.
Coronavirus has pushed the weekly death rate in Wales and England to its highest level since official weekly figures began in 2005.
The number of deaths with Covid-19 are different depending on how you measure them.
For instance, for ONS figures regarding deaths registered in Wales in the week ending Friday, April 3, 134 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, up from 21 the week before.
The number of coronavirusrelated deaths reported by the
Welsh Government are significantly lower than what is reported by the ONS.
The reason for this is because the ONS also look at deaths in the community, whereas current government figures just include hospitals.
Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS, said their figures were higher because “they include all mentions of Covid-19 on the death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, as well as deaths in the community”.
The figures in Welsh care homes seem to add weight to the claim that Covid-19 deaths are higher than reported.
There has been a spike in the number of deaths in Welsh care homes compared to last year.
The Care Inspectorate for Wales told the Echo there were 598 reported deaths in Welsh care homes in March compared to 482 in 2019, though in previous years this number has been nearly 700.
Large care home providers are reporting tragically large number of deaths and cases.
HC-One, which operates around 350 homes in the UK including 14 in Wales, said – as of 8pm on Monday, April 13 – there were 2,447 suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 to date, with 311 residents having died with suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
In a statement, the company said: “We are supporting the families of all of those residents who have been affected and those who have lost their lives, and our thoughts and condolences are with all those who have lost loved ones.
“If there has been an outbreak at a home, or if there has been a change in a resident’s health or care, we have been informing relatives as a matter of priority.”
Elsewhere, MHA, a charitable operator who has two homes in Wales, told the Guardian there had been 210 deaths across 131 homes, with outbreaks in around half of its homes.
Following the cases in care homes, charities including the Alzheimer’s Society, Marie Curie and Age UK have written to the UK Government calling on them to step up testing in care homes, saying: “We urgently need testing and protective equipment made available to care homes – as we’re seeing people in them being abandoned to the worst that coronavirus can do.”
They added: “Older people’s lives are not worth less. Care home staff are not second-class carers.
“The Government must step in and make it clear that no-one will be abandoned to this virus simply because of their age, condition or where they live.”