Restrictions killing more of us than virus

I MUST speak out about something that is affecting a great number of people in this country today: I am feeling sad, angry, worried and very frustrated. I am sure I am not alone, however.

My 89-year-old dad is in hospital recovering from falling and breaking his hip. Our family phoned him on Christmas Day and it was heartbreaking. He sounded very depressed, desperate for a visit, saying he’s not interested in eating, was extremely miserable; he told us there is not even a radio or TV, nothing to look at, do and nobody to talk to as he is in a side room alone. The staff, he says, are very busy, having no time to talk. He told us visiting was not allowed but that it might be allowed if I asked.

With that in mind, my younger son Ian and I went to visit him as Ian had a radio for him plus a photo of the two of them for his Christmas present. The nurse on duty kindly did let us see him as I said “My dad is 89 and I may possibly never see him alive again” but asked us to leave after only a couple of minutes.

I would be surprised if I did see him alive again as he looked terrible, sunken cheekbones and he was in tears (as were we), as Ian told him we were being made to leave.

Surely this situation cannot be right? My dad has less quality of life than a prisoner in a cell because of these rules, but at least we can say the prisoners are confined because they have broken the law. I know my family are not alone in this situation but I want to speak up for my dad and the other mums, dads, grandparents who are desperate for human contact.

I know what the answer would be, the stock “well, we have to keep them safe!” but from what exactly and at what cost? People might then say “well, what about the other patients and the staff?” A valid point, but seeing as my dad is alone in a side room with no contact with any other patients and we were well away from any staff. OK, maybe he won’t catch the virus, but he is now under these restrictions, having to live a few more days, weeks if he is lucky, trapped alone in a single room.

Surely the elderly people, for who we are closing down the country to protect from this virus, should be given the choice of whether they effectively want to be locked away and, let’s face it, probably condemned to die alone?

A final footnote from Ian: Elderly people won’t thrive if they have nobody encouraging them, as Ian would be, saying “have you eaten, grandad?” “You’ll be all right, you will be home soon with us when you are better.”

Without family visits and the feeling that somebody cares, there is simply no hope. Without that, he and the other people in his position, (and there must be a lot – have no hope at all). In Ian’s words:

“In grandad’s perspective, there is no light at the end of the tunnel, he cannot picture getting out of hospital and there is no-one to tell him he is going to be OK. He needs human contact and probably feels he’s been abandoned.”

We feel these restrictions are killing more people than the virus is, and we not alone in thinking this.

Susan Buchan Tamerton Foliot, Plymouth