A WEST Belfast woman has spoken of the devastating impact current coronavirus restrictions around care homes, especially regarding visitation, has had on her family and that of her 71-year-old father.
Donna Duffy and her family have not been able to properly see her father John, who suffers from vascular dementia, since the first Covid-19 lockdown restrictions came into affect back in March.
Mr Duffy was moved to a new care home in September and the family were able to see him for a total of two hours across that month. All visits to the care home ceased in October due to an outbreak of Covid-19.
Ms Duffy and her family, along with campaigners attended a rally at Stormont on Saturday calling for the implementation of the Department of Health’s (DoH) ‘Care Partner’ initiative to be implemented as quickly – and as safely as possible.
“The care partner scheme means that a family member will provide and assist with a loved one’s physical and mental health needs,” explained Donna. “They can go into the home and essentially be there for their father, their mother. Care Partners were supposed to be introduced by the DoH on November 5. Nothing has happened. Families want this done safely, we don’t want care homes to open their doors and say ‘come in’. One that is not going to happen, and two, families don’t want their loved ones put at risk.”
Care Partners were supposed to be introduced by the DoH on November 5. Nothing has happened. Families want this done safely, we don’t want care homes to open their doors and say ‘come in’. One that is not going to happen, and two, families don’t want their loved ones put at risk.”
Donna said that not being able to see her father is having a “horrific impact” on her family.
“My daddy’s dementia has progressed greatly. He is bed bound, has to be fed, he has no quality of life. He doesn’t understand why we are not there; he thinks we have abandoned him. The impact on us emotionally is horrific. We are grieving for my daddy, yet he is still alive. My mummy can’t see her husband.”
Donna spoke poignantly of how her six-year-old niece Rebecca “cries for her granda”.
“We are not asking for children to see their grandparents. We know this. No one wants to put anyone at risk. My niece is asking Santa not for toys but to bring her granda home for Christmas.”
She continued: “We had a window visit for daddy’s birthday last Monday. We sang happy birthday through the window to him, then my daddy started crying. When we asked him why he said ‘because I haven’t seen you’ and that broke my heart. I couldn’t get in to give my daddy a hug. I know it is not the care home’s fault, they are doing their job but we need action. Something has to change, why isn’t the department trying to legislate this? Any change has to come from the Minister. Work has to be done between the care homes, the Executive and the DoH on this.
Something has to change, why isn’t the department trying to legislate this? Any change has to come from the Minister. Work has to be done between the care homes, the Executive and the DoH on this.
“Care homes need more support from the Department to make the changes. The Department of Health’s guidance is not robust enough, there is no one approach for all. You can’t have a postcode lottery for care homes.
“All we want is one person to be given care worker status, to be given PPE and to be given Infection Control training and to go into the homes safely.”
