Safe visiting can be done

This is a picture of me holding my mum's hand after nearly 9 months of seperation (there are private health reasons to why this happened). This absolutely is a picture to celebrate but what it also brought is sadness.

Sadness that this cannot happen for many more people desperate to see mum (including her 3 other children) and not forgetting every other single resident in care homes across Scotland who have been isolated for 9 months.

Throughout this pandemic there has been guidance to allow what is called an "essential visitor" into care homes, this was in place for anyone showing signs of distress or end of life.

This guidance was needed and welcomed at the beginning when we were all in lockdown together and unsure what this pandemic would bring, 9 months later I genuinely feel we are getting bogged down on whether or not someone merits "essential visitor" status instead of how can we begin to open up visits for all in a safe manner.

How can anyone anywhere not say that someone who has been isolated from family members for 9 months will not have experienced some sort of distress, let's not also forget the distress this has brought on to the families watching their loved one deteriorate from a distance in front of their very eyes and feeling so helpless.

Let's be honest aswell here, not many people are able to secure "essential visitor" status, so again this guidance is not working in the way intended.

I am a member of Care Home Relatives Scotland and since the group was set up on 12th August there has been 3196 residents of Scottish care homes passed away, of which 209 tested positive for Covid 19. Ths is 3196 vulnerable residents too many who have been isolated from their families and 3196 families robbed of precious memories that may now be tainted with despair and anxiety the past 9 months have caused.

I started my petition never thinking it would actually need to become a source of reasoning to reunite residents and families. I was sat alone in my livingroom desperate for my mum to have at least one person to be able to visit her, which would be my dad. Now we are in month 9 and the petition along with all other campaigning will continue untill we get over the fear that families will bring Covid into the care homes. We need to be recognised as partners in care and be trusted that we will adhere to infection prevention and control(IPC) in the same way as staff do. We want to protect our families and the staff who work so hard to care for them but we can no longer be expected to do this from a distance.

I have been able to hold my mum's hand and I am so thankful for this quality time I have with my mum but there is a long line of people desperate to do the same across Scotland and terrified that chance will neve come again.

Now having been able to enter my mum's room using correct PPE and adhering to very excellent IPC measures I see no reason why this cannot be rolled out in every other care home in Scotland and even UK wide like was stated in the nursing times open letter

So let's stop the only way families can be reunited is when someone is showing signs of distress or nearing end of life to allow them to be reconnected with their family members and let's begin working on , dare I say it, a "new normal' for visiting within care homes. It can be done and it is time we start to recognise the worth families bring in terms of care to their loved ones and support to staff when we are in the building.

Let's get all working parties in unison and turn this into a positive can do exercise instead of a fearful exercise.

Natasha Hamilton

A proud member of Care Home Relatives Scotland

chrscotland@gmail.com (if you wish to know more about the group and our campaigning)

butalzheimersisforoldpeople@gmail.com (personal blog email)