Care home residents across region face heartbreak after close-contact visits banned under the new lockdown rules

  • ITV Calendar's David Hirst reports.

Care home residents are facing heartbreak after close-contact visits with family members have been banned under the new lockdown rules announced on Monday (04 January).

Campaign groups say some relatives fear that by the time they finally see their loved ones again they will have "forgotton who they are".

The Government guidance says visits to care homes can take place only with “substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows”.

Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed and no visits will be permitted in the event of a Covid outbreak at a home.

The was the last time Mary Broadhead from Sheffield had face-to-face contact with her dad was before the new lockdown.

She can't do that now and says it feels "cruel" after nine tough months for Bernard who has dementia.

Mary said: "We're back to a situation where we've either got to be outside a window which is great if you're on the ground floor or the weather's ok.

"Or we can visit in a public space within the care home facility

"My dad is nearly 97, coming towards the end of his life and I don't want him to feel like he's being abandoned."

Up to now, visitors like Mary were asked to don personal protective equipment.

Residents at the Broomgrove Nursing Home in Sheffield are tested every week for coronavirus and staff are tested four times weekly.

This weekend, all staff and residents will be vaccinated (09 January).

It's manager Donna Pierpoint says the new lockdown is a major blow, but she welcomes the government's decision to allow visits, though only through screens, pods and windows.

Donna Pierpoint said: "There's also a section where it says they're classed as compassionate visits, so people can also travel.

"So I've got relatives coming from as far away as London and it is classed as essential travel to come and visit someone in a care home"

The Department of Health and Social Care said today that in the face of a new variant of the virus and rising cases it acted to protect those most at risk in care homes, while allowing safe visits.