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Care Homes Faced 'Soul Shattering' Pandemic Ordeal
20 Oct
Summary
- Care staff worked 24-hour shifts and slept at home during the pandemic.
- The Covid inquiry found care settings were an 'afterthought' by the government.
- Supermarkets and international suppliers aided homes in securing vital PPE.
The Covid-19 pandemic inflicted a "soul shattering" ordeal on care home staff, a manager has revealed. Vicki Walker, from Balmoral House in Scunthorpe, recounted harrowing experiences where employees worked 24-hour shifts and slept at the facility, separating themselves from their families for survival.
The government's Covid inquiry has published a scathing report, asserting that the care sector was treated as an "afterthought" in the pandemic's initial stages. Baroness Hallett's findings indicate that over 43,000 deaths involving Covid occurred in care settings between March 2020 and July 2022.
Critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) plagued care homes, forcing directors to procure masks and other gear from any available source, including supermarkets and international suppliers. The inquiry concluded that government failings created an environment where the virus spread rapidly within these settings, contrary to official claims of a "protective ring."
Walker emphasized that social care was clearly secondary to the health sector during the crisis. She expressed bewilderment at how the care sector managed to navigate the immense challenges it faced, underscoring the profound difficulties endured by staff and residents alike.
