Case Studies

BBC South News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000ljzx/south-today-evening-news-05082020

Care Home Professional

https://www.itptrack7.com/campaigns/zy974q2gdx37c/track-url/yz9129pydy6a1/51eb116623f7cf3e447d67645ee8f20a9b20279f

IT IS WITH DEEP SADNESS AND SORROW CARE CAMPAIGN FOR THE VULNERABLE ANNOUNCE PAMELA SADLY PASSED AWAY TODAY THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST 2020 WITHOUT A FAMILY MEMBER PRESENT. PLEAS BY HER DAUGHTERS TO ALLOW A FAMILY MEMBER TO BE WITH THEIR MOTHER AT THE END OF LIFE WITH FULL PPE WAS DENIED BY THE CARE PROVIDER. OUR HEARTFELT SORROW AND CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO CAROL GRIFFITHS AND JACKIE PERKINS PAMELA'S DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILY

CARE CAMPAIGN FOR THE VULNERABLE STATEMENT

We know there is COVID and understand the risks. We are aware of providers difficulty in decision making where policy is concerned to visitation in care homes and we understand this government has abandoned the sector. A basic human right is a right to family life. Those rights have been stripped off many many people during COVID. At the start of this pandemic a minority of providers brought in patients from hospitals with COVID status and some did this for payment. We know many providers didn’t. We understand Providers are in a predicament. Some providers choose to look at each family case and make a decision understanding the risk and looking at the solutions available to minimise that risk and so to exercise compassion and in the end ‘ do the right thing “. Did this Care Provider? Carol took a COVID test. She stayed in her mother’s cottage a few miles from the care home while not mixing with strangers. She did this to minimise any risk so she could be with her mother at the end of her life. She was willing to comply to keep her and everyone around her safe so she could sit in her mother’s room isolated wearing full PPE and hold her mother's hand while she died.

We hope the person/s that looked at this individual case and made that decision understands the devastation this has caused and the responsibility must also be with the Government's lacklustre policy on care homes and visitation during a loved ones end of life.

Carol, her sister Jackie (top left) with their mum and late father before he sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer

Carol lost her Dad in March 2020 to pancreatic cancer. Her mother is in a care home where management has refused pleas to visit her mother who is now nearing the end of her life. Carol told CCFTV that this decision ”is wrong on every level “ and said being refused visitation rights to her mother and even her mother’s GP has contacted the care home to plea for her daughter to spend time with her dying mum with proper risk assessment- but refused.

” On Skype, my mother looks very frail and unable to open her eyes to even see me. I’m heartbroken that she is in this state and has been without us for so long. We are asking for this restriction to be reviewed and our mother prioritised and rules to be relaxed according to the individual’s needs and circumstances. Mum's been at Fairlawn care a home part of Care South Care Group for nearly two years now. Our mum is at the end of life and I am being denied frequent access because of COVID risk. This is nonsense. I’m no more at risk than the staff going in daily and our mother is nearing the end of her life. " Carol, Daughter

The Care Providers response (Care South)

"It has been decided that no changes will be made to our visiting policy at present. This is because of the increase/spike in COVID- 19 cases, with some counties being returned to lockdown and high concerns about the amount of holiday activity and volume of visitors we are experiencing in Dorset and other counties where we have homes. Government guidance is also changing on a daily basis so we are monitoring this closely and will make adjustments to tighten or relax our policy accordingly and with the best interests of our residents in mind as and when necessary. We recognise that this decision has an impact on our residents and relatives, but we believe this is the best way we can reduce risks to the lowest levels possible ”

Care Campaign For The Vulnerable Statement

CCFTV is again having to call out care providers who lack compassion. Individual cases where loved ones are at the end of life stage must be separately considered and common sense should prevail. Denying a loving daughter the basic human right to be with her mother while she is nearing the end is nothing short of cruel.

The daughter is correct in saying she poses no more risk to patients and staff than the care workers, hairdressers and general staff walking in and out. In fact, she poses less as she would leave her mother’s room only to go home. These decisions by providers must reflect a human emotion during these troubling times. COVID is a risk but compassion and common sense must prevail when families understandably want to be by the side of relatives nearing the end of their life.

The family have informed us they would like to go public with their experience. If you have an interest in this case please forward your details to ccftv.cares@gmail.com and we will pass on to the family.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable consults with every family member and we request correspondence between parties. We accept this is a families account and we always seek a right to reply.