Indoor visits are out of bounds as Scottish Government regulations take their toll
believe that this has all been caused by the separation from her loved ones but it has been made exponentially one worse by this.
“All other things aside, the care home have cared for mum incredibly well and managed her physical symptoms but these visiting regulations need to be assessed because they are utterly in humane .”
Allan is allowed to visit his mum at Silverburn Care Home in Glasgow’s Pollok just once a week at a fire escape.
He added: “Following the introduction of outdoor visiting, we were granted 30 minutes a week.
“Initially just me as the designated visitor, and in the next phase her sister and niece were added, but that has now been withdrawn.
“Mum is hard of hearing and at the meetings she is wheeled out of a f ire escape and kept a minimum of two metres away. It’s cold and draughty on a good day and on a bad day, the rain forced them to pull her back inside, about three metres away.
“You can imagine the problems we have communicating with this coupled with the wind and rain and having to wear masks.
“It’s inhumane, I have asked the home if they plan to improve this but have been told they cannot facilitate indoor visits because of regulations.
“This situation cannot be allowed to continue, people are not being treated like human beings. The government needs to come up with a way of balancing safety with the need for people to
have proper access to their families.”
Silverburn Care Home said: “We understand the difficulties and frustrations for families surrounding visits, however we have an obligation to safeguard all our residents as well as our staff in this unprecedented time.
“We have at all times followed the guidance from Public Health Scotland and have worked hard to ensure that we put in place measures to protect residents and staff.”
A devastated daughter has told how her 92- year- old mum is “fading away” in isolation, unable to meet her two new greatg randchi ldren. Marga ret Goodwin is a resident at the Antonine House Care Home in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, where new local lockdown conditions have been imposed.
Carol Goodwin, 59, said: “It breaks my heart.
“Mum doesn’t have dementia but it’s obvious her memory and ability have deteriorated hugely over the last six months.
“I’m absolutely convinced this is because she has not being seeing her family.
“Over that time I have been allowed just two outdoor socially distanced meetings exposed to the elements for just half an hour.
“The last two attempts have been cancelled because of bad weather and that’s only going to get worse.
“I have no issue with the home and I don’t want to criticise the staff or management at all, they have been great.
“This is about the Scottish Government and these complet e l y inhumane regulations.
“There were supposed to be plans in place by August 24, but mum’s home said they submitted plans and two weeks later Public
Health hadn’t even looked at them. Then I was told that because of local restrictions indoor visiting wouldn’t be allowed to start.
“This is going to reduce people’s life expectancy for sure, there is no question, but nobody seems to care.
“My mum could still get Covid, but she won’t be able to meet her two new great grandchildren properly, she won’t have been able to see her grandkids, she won’t have been able to see me or her sister.
“It’s brutal, it is disgusting in a civilised society. It shouldn’t happen.” Margaret has only been able to see her new greatgrandson through a window.
Carol added: “I am not saying throw the doors open, but they need to treat one or two relatives like care workers, they get tested, they get PPE and they can go into the residents’ room.”
Antonine House said: “The health and safety of our residents and staff is our highest priority.
“While we appreciate that being unable to visit loved ones as normal is incredibly hard, we continue to correctly follow Scottish Government procedures and guidelines.”