Emotional moment son is reunited with mum in Teignmouth care home
Report by Richard Lawrence
The Mayor of Teignmouth has been able to hold his mother’s hand for the first time in months after taking part in a new coronavirus testing scheme.
Peter Williams was able to see his mum in person after his fast-turnaround test result came back negative.
His mum is a resident at Summer Court Residential Home, which is one of 20 care homes in the region taking part in the Government’s new scheme.
The pilot allows one family member to take a rapid test for coronavirus, which returns results within 15 minutes.
Peter said: “She needs the contact from her family to help her see through these difficult times."
Until now, Peter was only permitted to see his mum behind a screen or socially-distanced in the care home’s gardens.
It is hoped the tests will put an end to such restrictions on visits, when used in combination with other protective measures such as PPE.
“We are really excited about it,” manager Carol Jackson said. “Obviously it means far more personalised visits for the residents here.
If the pilot scheme is successful, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he wants it to be rolled out to all care homes by Christmas.
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