Care home group fears it will run out of food if it cannot get a delivery

The owner of a care home group with four residents aged over 80 who have coronavirus has said they are “doing fine” but she fears homes will run out of food because she cannot get a Tesco delivery.

Ann Andrew, managing director of Andrew Care, which runs four care homes and spends on average £1,500 a week on a food from supermarket giant Tesco but can no longer get a delivery slot for food.

Staff up at midnight online

The care group runs the Argyle residential care home, Southfield residential care home and Welby Croft care home in north west England and has been a loyal customer of Tesco for the last 10 years.

“I think I just assumed Tesco would carry on supplying to us because we have vulnerable adults" says Ann Andrew.

“We are not being prioritised. Staff are staying up till midnight to try to get a slot.

“I did think they would prioritise us.”

Andrew Care typically spends £85,000 a year on Tesco deliveries. Staff at the care home have up at midnight trying to secure a Tesco delivery slot online.

Staff making visors using knicker elastic

In Argyle residential care home in Buxton, four residents have tested positive with the coronavirus. They are all aged in their mid-80s.

“They’re doing fine no problems. None of them have gone to hospital" she says.

“They are chatting and eating” but “just a bit tired”.

With shortages of PPE equipment nationwide, Ann Andrew says she managed to get enough masks from “a friend of a friend”.

Care workers have got creative and resorted to making visors for themselves using laminate and knicker elastic tied at the back.

“Some residents do have dementia and they can’t understand why their family can’t visit” she says, of the challenge of caring for residents during a coronavirus pandemic.

To stop panic buying, the retailer has limited shoppers to buying a maximum of three of the same item per household but this is also proving a challenge for Andrew Care, which usually orders 20 loaves of bread a week.

While care staff in the homes work hard to overcome the pressures of meeting residents needs in the home, Ann Andrew is clear lack of support from Tesco is making their job harder.

Tesco has been approached for comment.