Restrictions being lifted... what will it mean for care homes?

[NormaLouiseBates]

I know it's impossible to say for sure but does anyone have any thoughts on what the plans for care homes might be following the lifting of Covid restrictions?

My mum is in a nursing home that's been in "outbreak" since the end of December so I'm the only person allowed to visit her. It's exhausting, stressful and expensive (I don't drive so it costs me £30 a day in Ubers).

I don't know if I'm just being selfish though in hoping the visiting rules will be relaxed enough for my brother to be able to share the load a bit. I have to have a PCR weekly and take a LFT before every visit so what's the difference in him doing the same?

The official guidelines were published this morning and they're mostly utter bullshit compared to what was promised on Friday. The ONLY thing that has changed is the numbers of visitors allowed but you still have to book in advance and they can still close the homes with no notice if there are 2 or more positive cases... the period of "lockdown" has gone down from 28 days to 14 but all you need are for 2 people to test positive every 14 days and it will keep going on and on.

The Rights for Residents group on Facebook are devastated after so much was promised and yet so little has been delivered. The rest of the country has been allowed to open back up pretty much, yet care home residents and their families have been left behind. Some of the stories on that group would break your heart... residents crying for their families through glass windows and not understanding why they can't visit properly for example.

That utter wanker and his mates should be hanging their heads in shame. He's "sorry"? No, he's sorry he got caught having his fucking parties and gatherings while the elderly and vulnerable have been left to rot.

I'm luckier than most in that my Mum's care home are very good and will do everything they can to allow families to visit but they're not all the same sadly.