Elderly care residents remain ‘neglected, abandoned and betrayed’ nearly two years into the pandemic, campaigners have warned.
Hundreds of thousands of Britain’s most vulnerable are suffering due to the ‘collapsing’ social care system, while the rest of society embraces normality.
Many residents are ‘imprisoned’ in their rooms as care homes continue to impose draconian Covid visiting rules, which lawyers say breach their human rights.
Charities say residents’ suffering will intensify this winter as chronic staffing shortages mean carers can only do the ‘bare minimum’.
Tens of thousands of care staff lost their jobs last Thursday due to a law requiring them all to be double-jabbed – forcing some homes to close beds and refuse to take on new patients.
Daily Mail campaigned to end the bans on visiting that were imposed during the pandemic. Formal restrictions were lifted in July.
Many residents are ‘imprisoned’ in their rooms as care homes continue to impose draconian Covid visiting rules, which lawyers say breach their human rights.
Many homes still restrict visitors to pre-booked, supervised 30-minute slots. Rules also stipulate that they must lock down for at least two weeks in Covid cases.
Diane Mayhew, from campaign group Rights for Residents, said ‘essential care givers’ must be given a legal right to visit in all circumstances.
She said: ‘The rest of society is back to normal, but people in care homes remain an afterthought. They have been neglected, abandoned and betrayed throughout this pandemic.’
Ruth Womack, 55, was forced to complete a criminal record check and five training courses including in fire safety and health and safety just to visit her mother’s bedroom in a care home in Sheffield.
Helen Bownes (76) has Lewy Body Dementia. Her condition has worsened significantly since the outbreak.
Martyn Jannaway’s family worry he ‘feels like we abandoned him again’ after he was banned from seeing his wife and children last month.
After reporting Covid cases, the 66-year old suffered from severe dementia. His care home in Chichester (West Sussex) was placed into lockdown on 14 October.
Even though Patricia has the essential care giver status, Patricia was denied entry by his home. Mr Jannaway’s daughter Jo said this caused a further deterioration in his condition.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We are doing everything we can to support care providers to facilitate visits safely.’