On BBC Breakfast this morning Dan Walker was questioning Helen Whately and asking if visits to care homes could go ahead now that residents have received their first jab, and if family wore ppe and were tested, but the answer was it's still not safe. The residents will not have "protection" yet, fair point as it takes 3 weeks after the jab for this. I would hope tho that there may be guidance out mid February as they will have this good protection by then! I doubt this will happen, the goal posts keep moving!
Dan also mentioned that Alzheimer's society had said it would be wrong to have to wait a further 12 weeks until 2nd jabs have been administered before visits are allowed. I quite agree, and I am worried that we will have to wait until then, and who knows if it will be even worse and we have to wait until family have the 2nd jab? I can quite easily see the goal posts being moved even further away until Summer/Autumn.
Still a very depressing situation!
I phoned mum's care home to see if the residents were out of "solitary confinement" due to 2 staff members having tested positive , but they have 1 more day to go. This is the 3rd time since November, and I can see it happening again and again. The manager says she understands how I feel not being able to see mum and have contact as she is missing seeing her grandson as hasn't seem him since Christmas! I couldn't believe she thought we were experiencing the same loss, and told her to try being in this situation for almost a year!
It is heartbreaking to read the accounts on this thread of those who haven't seen family for months.
I took a 12 month career break last April to come and help dad care for my mum.
Despite mum deteriorating over the last year, we enjoyed some lovely times, before finally acknowledging in January that we couldn't manage anymore.
We were fortunate that a room came up at our 1st choice home and mum moved in 2 weeks ago.
But the guilt and upset is awful.
Due to the lockdown, we've never seen inside the home apart from by video call, the home has had an outbreak of covid discovered the day after mum moved in (tests done the day before she joined), we've had 2 window visits which are useless because her hearing aids have gone missing, plus it's too cold for my dad to be standing outside, and residents are being 'encouraged' to stay in their rooms.
Dad and I feel distraut that mum is now surrounded by masked strangers, hardly gets to see us (she often didn't recognise us when she was at home) and we have no prospect of any meaningful contact with her.
We were due a video call today (mum has no clue about these but at least we can see her) but the staff forgot.
I'm struggling to sleep at night - I know we couldn't keep mum at home safely any longer but I can't imagine how she must be feeling.
Any advice from others who have had admissions during lockdown?