'Let us visit our mum' pleads family of Plymouth care home pensioner

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A Plymouth woman whose mother has been in a care home since the start of the pandemic is calling on the Government to do more to help families visit their loved ones, and combat the growing problem of loneliness and isolation among older people.

Karen Rogers says her 75-year-old mother's dementia has worsened since restrictions were imposed earlier in the year, and fears for her future if she is not able to have face-to-face visits.

"The carers do their best but they can't spend quality time with her, keep her mind active," she said. "They feed her, they change her, that's her life. She's only going to get worse.

"In the beginning we could visit her, we could take her out for dinner, she could see her family. If she could still have that stimulation there's no way she would be this bad."

The strict rules placed on care homes mean Marian's family have been forced to communicate through windows or, where it is allowed, from a distance.

Karen does not blame the care home staff themselves, but she feels the Government is not being flexible enough when it comes to allowing family visits.

"I totally understand they are trying to keep them safe," she said. "But it's not doing them any good. People are dying because they are lonely. They are going downhill too quickly."

The Government is to trial a new scheme to allow family members to be treated as key workers, with regular testing and protective equipment, which would allow more face-to-face visits.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Our priority remains the prevention of infection in care homes to protect staff and residents but we are considering plans to allow specific family and friends to visit care homes safely. We will set out further details in due course."

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Diana Mayhew, from the Rights for Residents group, said: "Yesterday I was emailed five times by members of our group for whom this is now too late. They've actually lost their loved ones now.

"So time is not on our side and soon isn't soon enough. So the Government need to listen to what people are telling them and do something right now because this is a national scandal."