Care home residents embrace family and friends during Christmas Day visits

Video report by ITV News Reporter Ellie Pitt

Dozens of residents at a Leeds care home were able to embrace their loved ones on Christmas Day after a rapid results trial allowed visits from family members and friends.

Aspen Hill Village in Hunslet, south Leeds, hosted 70 close contact family visits on Friday morning after running successful trials of lateral flow testing for coronavirus, which produce results within 30 minutes.

Family members and friends clad in personal protective equipment (PPE) – including gowns, gloves and masks – and laden with gifts and flowers hugged and chatted with elderly relatives during a two-hour visiting window.

Dianne Schofield, who was able to visit her friend Mary Kirby, said it had "been a hard few months not being able to see her properly and finally I can come in and hold her hand, although we're gloved up, but at least it's human touch. It's lovely."

To bring festive joy for the occasion, activities co-ordinator Claire Paver welcomed visitors while dressed in a Santa Claus outfit and hat, and one care home resident awaited the arrival of her family in a reindeer headband.

Lateral flow tests were rolled out to care homes in England to help enable close contact visits and combat isolation among residents.

Mary Orme said being able to visit her mother, Rose McKimm, was the "best Christmas ever. It's just amazing. We thought we weren't going to see her this year, but they've made it possible."

However, not everyone was able to see their loved ones this Christmas.

Navjot Singh, director at Aspen Hill Village, said: “This year has been difficult for the whole country, but for those people living in care homes, or with loved ones in care homes, it has been even more so.

“For some of our residents, it’s been over nine months since they’ve been able to hold hands, or have a hug, with their loved ones.

“That’s why the lateral flow tests, which allow us to test visitors on the day to make sure they don’t have the virus, are so exciting.

“It means that today, on Christmas Day, we have been able to reunite over 70 families for a much-needed hug, cup of tea and chat.

“It’s brought a smile to everyone’s faces and ends a very difficult year on a high.

“For our staff, who have tried their best to make life as normal as possible for the people they care for, it represents a bit of hope that our residents will have more normality in 2021.”

Peter Gillibrand, who lives in Cardiff, decided the risk of seeing his family was too great this year, but rather than stay at home alone, he ran a marathon and raised more than £3,000 for the NHS.

"I started off with tears of sadness this morning, I've ended up with tears of joy really," he said.

"The 26.2 miles, even though they were really, really tough in this Santa costume, I did it."

For others, it was their Christmas together.

Ben Canham and Shelagh Low became friends online during the Covid pandemic.

During this time, Shelagh became concerned about Ben and in the summer she made the 700-mile roundtrip from Scotland to the Midlands to pick him up and they've lived together ever since.

"I find Sheila kind, caring and considerate for the stuff she's done for me and it's made my life feel a lot better... We've supported each other," Ben told ITV News.

"We've supported each other and it's just worked out really well actually," Shelagh added.

Lateral flow tests were rolled out to care homes in England to help enable close contact visits and combat isolation among residents.

On Wednesday the Department of Health and Social Care announced care home staff in England will receive two rapid result tests a week in addition to regular testing to help keep the new coronavirus variant at bay.