Families banned from care home visits at Christmas outraged by No 10 party

Who cares if there was a Downing Street party last Christmas when Covid restrictions were in force across the country? Families of care home residents, with some facing a second Christmas without their loved ones, have been having their say on why they care if the rule-breaking party took place.

With £10,000 fines handed out for people breaking Covid restrictions last Christmas, reports of a Downing Street party on December 18, 2020 (when parties were illegal) have shocked families who were forced to spend the festive season apart from their loved ones living in care homes.

Mum 'faces a second Christmas' without family

In response to news of a Downing Street party, one woman (@joannecolin53) tweeted: ‘Yes I do care.

'Absolutely appalling behaviour with lies about everything. Pity they cannot get their act together regarding the residents in care homes. Such cruelty for those who need their families at this point in their lives. They can manage to arrange a party but not care!!!’

Izzy Jones, (@IzzyJon67069546) tweeted: ‘Last year, my mother in law couldn’t come out of the care home for Christmas we were in lockdown also for her 85th birthday. She died last month of pneumonia age 86. The Tories are a disgrace Boris is a disgrace.’

To add insult to injury, and against government guidelines, families report some care homes are still not allowing families access to their loved ones this Christmas.

Jenni Fryer (@jennifryer) tweeted: ‘The average life expectancy of a care home resident is two years. Around 75% of people in care homes have dementia. My mum is one of them. Yet she faces a second Christmas not able to be with the people she loves. This is basic deprivation of human rights and needs to change ASAP.’

Government source says 'very likely' care home visitors will be limited to 3 per resident

In government guidance (published on 3 December 2021), the government states: ‘There are no nationally set restrictions on friends and family visiting their loved ones in care homes. We expect and encourage providers to facilitate visits wherever possible, and to do so in a risk-managed way.’

However, The Daily Telegraph has cited an anonymous Government source as saying it is “very likely” visitors in social care settings will be limited to three per resident in the coming days and this would only be changed “when there is a clear change of circumstances for one of them”.

The current guidance states visitors must make arrangements with care homes in advance of the visit, the length of visits must not be limited, visits should take place in a room 'most practical and comfortable' for the resident and visitors should receive a negative lateral flow test on the day of their visit.

Essential care givers should be able to visit inside the care home even during periods of self-isolation and a Covid outbreak. During an outbreak, care homes must 'continue to offer visits in well-ventilated spaces with substantial screens, visiting pods or from behind windows'.

Residents currently can also ‘have visits out of the care home and will only need to isolate following an emergency stay in hospital, if they test positive for Covid-19, or following a visit that has been deemed high-risk following an individual risk assessment’.

Diane Mayhew, co-founder of Rights for Residents, speaking to the BBC said: “We have all the precautionary measures in place for people going into care homes now but unfortunately, despite government guidance stating that visitors should be welcome…that is not the case in many care homes.

“Christmas visits are being banned. For some people this will be their last Christmas”.

'How stupid does Boris Johnson think we are?'

At a Downing Street briefing on 8 December, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the infection rate of Covid-19 variant Omicron was doubling every two days and had prompted his government to introduce its 'Plan B'.

Plan B involves tighter Covid restrictions including, mask wearing in more indoor venues, and work from home rules coming into effect from 13 December.

During the briefing, Mr Johnson categorically denied any knowledge of a Christmas party being held last year at Downing Street.

Meanwhile #BorisResign has been trending on Twitter, prompting Labour leader Keir Starmer to highlight in PMQs that ‘I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here’ hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had called Mr Johnson the Prime Minister ‘for now’.

Sara Livadeas (@saralivadeas), the former chief executive of care home operator The Freemantle Trust, tweeted: ‘I couldn't visit my uncle Paul on his 100th birthday. Through lockdown he lost his confidence and his mobility, resulting in a fall that eventually killed him. Why did I follow the lockdown rules? I'm angry!’

The social care consultant went on to tweet: 'There is no way on earth that my senior team could or would hold a party without telling me about it.

"How stupid does Boris Johnson think we are??’