Care Home owners across the North East are pleading with the Government to step in and support their efforts, following what they claim is a “deafening silence” from the region’s local authorities.
And the homes are also hoping to rally the support of the general public to get them to insist that more should be done to save the lives of 36,000 vulnerable residents and care staff.
The industry has become one of the casualties of the coronavirus outbreak, with its staff having to care for elderly and vulnerable people, many of whom have already fallen victim to the virus.
And many owners claim that local councils’ lack of action could have potentially deadly consequences for people “who have given so much to society and who we should be able to keep free from harm.”
Home operators claim that not only have 12 of the region’s local authorities failed to give them adequate funding to deal with the crisis, but they are also being forced to readmit Covid-19 patients to their homes – putting both staff and other residents at risk.
Keith Gray, chair of Care North East which represents more than 250 care homes across the region, said this is not about making profit but ensuring the funding was adequate to cover costs.
“It is sickening that at the time of national crisis, when everybody is pulling together, councils in the North East have banded together and refused to provide an adequate support package to help keep the most vulnerable of our society safe,” he said.
“The homes are only asking for the basics which would enable them to keep residents and staff safe – but it seems we have just been forgotten.
“No care home is looking to profit from this crisis, the reality is that many homes will be haemorrhaging money, but both the region’s local authorities and the clinical care groups don’t seem to have any interest in helping our frontline staff.”
Mr Gray said care homes hadn’t been issued with any PPE to give to their staff, beyond a few days’ worth of masks, which he believes has contributed to “Covid-19 ripping through homes, resulting in the untimely death of residents and infecting staff.”
Care homes have asked the local authorities to pay for the additional costs which are being incurred because of having to deal with Covid-19 but claim that to date not one local authority in the region has agreed to this – despite a £1.6b Government grant – offering only an additional five per cent payment – which will only be paid of the homes which agree to take people suffering with the virus into their current resident mix.
“Even the local authorities’ own body recommends paying 10 per cent, but the North East councils won’t even abide by that,” said Mr Gray.
“And the fact that homes are being forced to take Covid-19 patients, without adequate PPE for their staff, is irresponsible and heartless.
“Staff are going to work and then have to return home to their own families and we cannot adequately protect them. It’s scandalous.”
Representatives from other care homes echoed Mr Gray’s words.
“It’s shocking that we are being forced into taking Covid-19 patients into our homes, which can have terrible consequences for other elderly and vulnerable people,” said one care home owner.
“Patients should be cared for in separate units so that they are being kept away from other residents – mixing them together is sheer madness.
“The true death toll of residents from Covid-19 might never be known as they are not rigorously testing residents who die with the symptoms of Covid-19, at care homes or in the community.”
Care North East is now asking for the Government to intervene and to insist that the local authorities give adequate funding to care homes “to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected from harm.”
“Care home staff have become the forgotten army in this fight against coronavirus, yet we are playing a vital role,” said Mr Gray.
