The worst thing I've heard this week.

[madcatladyforever]

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-elderly-people-found-dead-and-abandoned-at-care-homes-in-spain-11962804

Nursing homes abandoned and the residents left to die in Spain.

Oh my god, that is awful. Those poor people.

The true cost of lives will take months to discover.

But what do you do?
We should be volunteering to go in and cover these situations.
But then you are putting your own family at risk. Unless you can see to the needy and self isolate for the duration.

There was a mumsnet thread posted by a person whose carers had stopped coming and not alerted anyone or set up any other help for the person they were caring for - this reminds me of that and I wonder how often that’s happening here.

I read that also, it's just shocking. Hopefully someone will be held to account.

Its very worrying, I am hoping the NHS volunteers will address some of this. I was shocked at that post too where OP had been in the same clothes for 16 days. I'm so worried there are others out there.
We're doing home visits soon for a lot of our patients so hopefully will pick anyone up who has been abandoned.I already work full time in the NHS.
Having worked in nursing homes from time to time I simply cannot imagine abandoning my residents like that, I could not make myself do it.
I'd go home and get my cat and then stay for the duration self isolated I think.

We will see more of this.

The lockdown and economic standstill may well kill more people than the virus. These deaths will be not directly linked to coronavirus so we will never know.

I really hope it’s an isolated case - even if you stop coming, how can you not set something else up for the person you’ve been caring for? Despicable.

I saw this yesterday. It's rare that a news story makes me cry, but this was awful.

I can understand why carers stopped coming if they were ill or self-isolating, but whoever was in charge of the home should have had contingency plans - or at the very least advised the local council of the staffing problems so that somebody knew these people were there. Someone needs to be held to account for this.

I saw from a friend on FB that her mother's care home had locked down with a few carers choosing to live in rather than be with their families. That's dedication

This story really upset me too

So bleak

It’s so bleak because it’s reality and a lot of the reality in the heavily impacted countries will be our reality in a few weeks

I don’t mean this particular thing will happen in the U.K. ... just that realities of more deaths

I am a long in the tooth social care worker and broke when I saw this story yesterday. After the initial shock I thought about how this could happen - and the answer is easily.

Countries are in lockdown, staff numbers will have been reducing daily, either due to illness or isolation, those left may well have become ill and unable to contact anyone, been paralysed by fear and fight or flight has taken over, or as I suspect, they will find some of the dead are the staff that stayed.

This is the reality of what we are facing - to those who can - PLEASE STAY AT HOME and let those of us who can't try to do our best for those who need us.

Seriously? How is this thread even helpful? It's just going to freak a fuck of a lot of people out and lots of folks are already struggling with anxiety and mental health problems as it is.....

It is helpful to warn of the pitfalls of lockdown. Keep in touch with people.

I predict now that the economic and social impact will kill more people than the virus. Government won't mind this as there is no direct link they can be blamed for. Eg they will get blamed for no ventilators in hospital. They won't get blamed for isolated old person passing away.

The thread title made it clear you weren't going to open an Easter bunny photo tbf.

It's awful OP. Just awful.

I've also seen on MN since yesterday 3 threads bemoaning that "we all have to stay in when we're not going to get it because it's only old people who would die anyway" which is worryingly moving along the road to ",just let them all die, better for everyone" stance.

Seriously? How is this thread even helpful? It's just going to freak a fuck of a lot of people out and lots of folks are already struggling with anxiety and mental health problems as it is

It serves a reminder to those who think that this is all a big overreaction, that there are very real consequences attached to this virus spreading.

And whilst I sympathise with those struggling at the moment (I have MH conditions myself), it's unfair and unrealistic to expect the world not to report or talk about these tragedies. It's also hugely disrespectful to those who have died - that we should literally bury all mention of them for fear of upsetting someone.