Care homes have been one of the worst hit communities by COVID-19 in the UK. At least 22,000 residents are reported to have died of the illness. The latest figures show that 45 per cent of deaths took place in care homes.
Meanwhile, in Caterham, at-home care appears to be offering a welcome and seemingly safer alternative to assisted living. Despite reported shortages of PPE and daily visits to societies most vulnerable, local care agency Loving Care has reported no cases of coronavirus in it’s clients or frontline employees.
This is a remarkable victory in the nation’s battle against the pandemic. Weakened by age and underlying illness, the elderly are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. A staggering one in three deaths from coronavirus in Great Britain have been people aged over 85.
Sandra Jenner, owner said “Our 17 staff members follow strict hygiene rules to keep people in the community safe and well and the agency attributes forward planning to their success in protecting all of it’s 50 clients. While gloves and aprons were easily accessible, masks were harder to get hold of. We had increased supplies delivered by local volunteers, so it’s been a joint effort with the local authority.”
During lockdown, families have been unable to visit their elderly relatives. As such, visits from carers may be the only social interaction pensioners have received in the last ten weeks. “Apart from the fact that they’re wearing masks you wouldn’t know there’s a pandemic,” says Jenny Chinnappa, whose mother receives daily calls from the agency. “Throughout all of this, they’ve never let us down. They’ve been well briefed, and it puts me at ease. They’re caring for our loved ones and keeping them safe at this strange time.”
