Wrexham care home staff 'utterly devastated' after 13 residents die from coronavirus outbreak
Thirteen people have died from coronavirus in less than a month at a north Wales care home.An outbreak of Covid-19 at the Hillbury Care Home in Wrexham, days before Christmas, led to the death of 13 residents.
The home is part of the Pendine Park group.Cindy Clutton, manager of the home, said she and her team were “utterly devastated” and believe that the outbreak was caused by the new strain of the virus.She said: "I have been working in social care since I was 16. This is my life. I will never ever get over this. I am totally heartbroken.
“The staff are also utterly devastated. Unlike a hospital where people are generally in and out in a few weeks or less, you build a really close bond with your residents.“They are like members of your extended family and we are privileged to provide care for them in their twilight years."
She added: “It doesn’t make it any easier that those who passed away had underlying health problems. When you have people as frail as this, the odds are against them.“We did not lose anybody until December 18 and then we had the worst Christmas ever when we were facing unprecedented pressures. Christmas will never be the same again.“Thankfully, many of the residents have recovered and life is slowly returning to normal with parties, music and laughter."
“The fact that the virus spread so rapidly suggests it is this dreadful new strain of the disease which is so much more transmissible."
Wrexham has some of the highest localised case rates in Wales, with Gwersyllt and Summerhill currently at 1,468 cases per 100,000.
Health officials believe that the new variant now accounts for 70% per cent of the cases in north Wales.
Director Gill Hughes from Pendine Park, added: "As an organisation, Pendine Park has put its heart and soul into protecting the residents for whom we provide care, so the scale and the severity of the loss at Hillbury is truly heartbreaking.
“The fact that the staff kept the virus out for so long is testament to the dedication and tenacity of the team led by Cindy who spared no effort in fighting this horrible disease and continue to do everything in their power to protect the people in their care."Lawrence Isted, from Wrexham Council, said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that 13 residents at Hillbury Care Home have died from Covid-19 in recent days.“We send our condolences and sincere sympathies to family, friends, residents and staff at the home.“We have met regularly since the outbreak was first confirmed to bring it under control and we will continue to offer our support throughout this difficult period."We are confident every precaution has been taken to prevent further spread of infection within the home and the safety of residents and staff remains everyone's number one priority.”
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