Fewer care home beds in Peterborough as relatives and residents call for an end to isolation

Care home representatives and charities warn vulnerable people could be put at risk without more funding to increase capacity in the sector across England, which has been strained by Covid-19.

Public Health England data shows there were 9.7 care homes beds per 100 people aged 75 and over in Peterborough at the end of March, down from 10 last year.

The figure includes beds in residential homes, which provide accommodation and help with things such as washing and dressing, and nursing homes, which are staffed by nurses and offer support to people with more complex needs.

Across England, the rate of available beds dropped to a record low of 9.6 per 100 in March, down slightly from 9.8 last year.

Martin Green, chief executive of charity Care England, said he feared the long-term capacity of the system could be “severely depleted” without further funding, after years of austerity and lack of investment.

He added: “The unprecedented cost pressures leveraged by Covid-19 put the future of many care providers into question, especially when one considers the burdened nature of the care sector even prior to Covid-19.”

Coronavirus added to pressures due to additional staffing costs to cover more shifts for shielding residents and inflated prices of PPE and other necessary equipment.

The group is calling for support such as the Infection Control Fund – a £600 million package announced in May to tackle the spread of the coronavirus in care homes – to be extended to help care providers get through the pandemic.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said a lack of funding is forcing some care homes to close their doors for good.

The resulting decline in nursing home beds is a “serious concern”, she said, as few alternatives exist for people who need such care apart from hospital.

Ms Abrahams added: “No one wants to be in hospital unless it is strictly necessary and for older people it is particularly risky to their longer-term health and wellbeing.

“It is clearly important that we have enough residential home beds, appropriately spread around the country, so older people and families have a decent choice of nearby provision if they have decided this is the place for them.”

The Relatives & Residents Association (R&RA) has launched a campaign calling to #EndIsolationInCare.

The charity believes the continued isolation of older people in care is putting their human rights at risk. R&RA is calling on the Government to take urgent action and amend their guidance for the sector.

Seven months after care homes went into lockdown, many older people are still unable to see their family and friends. The Association says inadequate guidance from the Government about visiting has kept many homes in lockdown and led to unworkable policies which make visiting impossible for some families. For some, the guidance has taken them backwards, resulting in more restrictions on their contact.

The R&RA Helpline receives calls daily about the impact of isolation, with people losing weight, losing speech, no longer recognising family members, and ‘losing the will to live’.

Helen Wildbore, director of the Relatives & Residents Association says people living in care need to be reconnected with their support networks, to reinstate the crucial emotional and practical support family and friends provide. She says “many family carers play a vital role in helping protect the well-being of their relatives, from help with eating, to relieving the distress of dementia”.

The Association says better guidance from Government is required in order to support care homes to safely open up. The R&RA is calling for the current guidance on visiting to be changed, including:

* Single, constant visitor: this should be removed from the guidance, it is inhumane, impractical and created painful decisions for families

* Time limits on visits: make clear that these are not required, they have made visiting too distressing and impractical for many

* Regular testing: this must be made available for visitors, as well as residents and staff

* Privacy: stipulate that staff should not chaperone visits (except in exceptional situations such as safeguarding)

* Group decisions: rather than encouraging blanket policies, putting people’s rights at risk, decisions should be based on individual assessments

Helen Wildbore said: “Months of isolation have had a devastating impact on many people living in care, both on their mental and physical health. As the country re-emerges from lockdown and adjusts to the ‘new normal’, older people living in care have been left behind once again by the Government. Residents feel abandoned. Relatives are becoming increasingly worried and frustrated. Care staff, already facing burn out, will be doing what they can to fill the void but cannot replace the support and love of family and friends.

“The Government’s guidance on visiting is not fit for purpose. Care providers need clarity and leadership. They need clear, practical guidance and support from the Government about managing visits whilst COVID-free, and planning for if they develop cases. We need to achieve a better balance between protecting people from the virus and protecting their well-being. Care homes are people’s homes. They are places where people should expect a good quality of life, not simply to exist.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The number of care home beds remains stable and care given at home is growing, with innovation and technology allowing people to live at home for longer.

“We know there is a need for a long-term solution for social care and are looking at a range of proposals as part of our commitment to bringing forward a plan that puts the sector on a sustainable footing for the future.”