Care homes left in 'impossible situation' of banning Mother's Day visits due to Covid cases

Some care homes have been unable to conduct Mother’s Day visits because of positive cases of Covid-19, much to the frustration of families, with care homes in the “impossible situation” of being “damned if they do and damned if they don’t”.

Care home residents in England have been legally allowed one regular indoor visitor since 8 March, but Amanda Hunter, who set up campaign group ‘Unlock Care Homes’ to push for more visits, says she has heard from many families who missed out on what they fear was their mother’s last special day on Sunday 14 March.

Ms Hunter, whose own 84-year-old mother is based in a care home in Cheshire, said: “Lots of homes are saying no visits on Mother's Day.

“After 12 months in lockdown, this will be the last Mother's Day for many. We have had lots of people get in touch with Unlock Care Homes telling us they cannot see their relatives this Sunday. Some care homes have gone out of their way to make Mother's Day special - by facilitating visits through testing - so it is possible.”

Lynda Ward, who did see her mother on Mother’s Day, posted (@lyndaward56) on Twitter: ‘Me with my mum on her special day. Not the day we really wanted a 20 mins visit but we enjoyed it my sister took the pic from outside. Mum loved her gifts’.

Jane Smith, who co-founded the campaign group, is able to see her 94-year-old mother for one hour a week, but was left heartbroken when initially told she could not visit her Gloucestershire care home on Mother’s Day.

Her mother has dementia and Ms Smith says her mum's mental state has declined significantly in the last year. She has been classed as 'end of life' due to an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which could kill her at any time.

The care home has said it has been unable to allow visits by family on Mother's Day because it is currently in an 'outbreak situation' as defined by Public Health England. The care home will stay with this status until 28 days have elapsed since its latest positive test, at which point it will leave this category on 22 March and can welcome visitors again.

The care home said it has made special dispensations for any residents who are deemed to be 'end of life' as government guidance states: 'visits in exceptional circumstances such as end of life should continue in all circumstances'. A Mother’s Day visit by Ms Smith has since been granted due to the resident’s ‘end of life’ status.

The Relatives & Residents Association (R&RA) has said some care homes are saying they will not open to visitors until April 12, while others will not allow indoor visits until residents have had their second vaccine dose.

According to families calling the association's helpline, some care homes are refusing to allow access to visitors who provide essential care to a resident, which has been allowed since 8 March.

‘Damned if they do and damned if they don’t’

Care leader Mary Wimbury has said many care homes have been left in an impossible position after indoor visits by one designated relative or friend were given the green light in March.

Mary Wimbury, the chief executive of Care Forum Wales, said expectations were sky high after the easing of the rules.

She stressed that while indoor visits were being permitted again, beyond exceptional circumstances, many care homes were “terrified" amid concerns a vaccine-resistant variant of the virus could appear at a time when health experts are convinced a third wave of the disease is inevitable.

“Care Forum Wales wants to see family members and care home residents united again but we would certainly support care homes in adopting a cautious approach.

"Some of these care homes are in an impossible situation because they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Not 'out of the woods'

“Care homes that have recorded positive cases during the routine weekly testing will be flagged as red and the whole home will be closed down for 20 days. They are often false positive results but they can still close you down for 20 days. That means no visiting.

“Anyone that thinks we’re out of the woods needs to think again because the resumption of indoor visiting must be done extremely carefully.

“If you have a 50-bed care home that’s full and potentially 50 relatives coming in, the home will not know if they’ve been vaccinated or who they have been mixing with.

“Everyone understand that we have come through the most hideous 12 months since the pandemic was declared and there is now light at the end of that very dark tunnel.”

The chief executive highlighted as worrying a "wildly fluctuating rate of second doses" of the vaccine being given in Wales to people aged over 80, many of whom live in care homes.

She said: “It is imperative that we proceed with caution. It will not be like pressing a button and everybody returning immediately to the normality that existed before the pandemic struck.

“What we don’t know is how effective the vaccine is against some of the newer variants of Covid, particularly with what’s going on in Brazil. As the First Minister pointed out, we are facing an inevitable third wave of coronavirus and we have to take great care to protect our residents and our staff.

“Whilst the first dose will provide a good degree of immunity, it is important that people are able to have the second jab to provide better protection, particularly in the case of people aged over 80 who are more likely to be frail and therefore more vulnerable.”