Plymouth care home manager fears for mental health of residents over winter months
The manager of a Plymouth care home says she fears for the mental health of her elderly residents as the ban on visitors looks set to continue over Christmas.
Higher Park Lodge faced a summer blighted by problems with testing - plus months of isolation - has taken its toll on both staff and residents.
Manager Debbie Norman says the limited face-to-face interaction residents have had with their families will be curbed significantly as we head into winter.
In May, as the virus was reaching its peak, all thirteen staff members left their families behind and moved in to protect the residents.
They lived alongside each other for six weeks and are prepared to do the same again.
Residents at Higher Park Lodge say they appreciate how much staff have rallied around them but it's not the same as seeing family and friends.
Staff at the home are thankful they have not recorded a single positive Covid case, but they're still taking every precaution, and they're still sticking to their weekly testing regime.