A coalition of over 60 organisations brought together by the National Care Forum (NCF) has called on the government to ensure care homes are supported to enable visits by families and loved ones during the pandemic.
In a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Care Minister Helen Whately, the organisations urge the government to take visitors into consideration in any new regulations it is drafting for the care sector covering national lockdown and the aftermath.
The letter says isolation caused by blanket bans on visiting in care homes is “intrinsically harmful” and evidence of the “extreme anguish” caused is widely known.
“Locking down care homes in March was an emergency response to the global pandemic caused by a virus about which little was known. Eight months on, more is understood about the risks of transmission and measures are in place to keep people safe,” said the NCF.
“People in care homes and their loved ones in the community have fundamental human rights, both as individuals and as a community, and a ban on visiting denies those rights. For older people in particular, who have on average a stay of two years in a care home, there simply isn’t enough time for many of those living in care homes today to watch and wait,” it added.
NCF executive director Vic Rayner (pictured) said the issue of care home visits is a delicate balancing act that must consider the risk of harm from isolation and physical, mental, emotional deterioration, as well as Covid-19.
“NCF has brought this coalition together to ensure the government is in no doubt about the wide range of voices who have joined this call for action. They represent the voices of residents, relatives, the workforce, care providers, academics, sector experts and allies. They must be listened to,” she added.
“The coalition has a clear set of asks around testing of visitors and the designation of one person (as a minimum) per resident as a key visitor, as well as enabling every care home to manage visiting in the way that best works for them, with help to create safe COVID-19 visiting spaces.
“We must work together at pace to have this in place by the end of November. None of this is easy, but nothing that matters ever is.”
