Tributes paid to care home staff during pandemic

LOCAL care homes have paid tribute to their staff for their dedication and unwavering commitment during the pandemic.

It comes after news that four care home residents in Melksham died with Covid-19, according to figures published last month. 

The figures, released by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), show that between 10th April 2020 and 31st March 2021, Blenheim House Care Home recorded three deaths, and Brookside Care Home recorded one death. 

Overall, in Wiltshire, 431 care home residents died with the virus; and across England, more than 39,000 care home residents died with the virus in this period. 

In response to the figures, both care homes have paid tribute to their staff,  the lives that were lost and the families affected. 

Brookside Care Home’s manager, Dawn Wallburton said, “Throughout the last 17 months, the team has pulled together like never before. Whether they are working with new infection control protocols, organising PPE or entertaining our residents, everyone is committed to keeping residents at Brookside safe and cared for.  

“During those long months when visiting was not possible, the team was innovative and imaginative in coming up with new activities. They went above and beyond keeping spirits up, entertaining our residents and supporting their family and friend relationships and connections via phone, letters and video calls on tablets.  

“We are hugely grateful to the Melksham community – shops and groups who made donations, volunteers that came in to help, and family members for their support and kind words.” 

Chief executive of the Orders of St John Care Trust, which runs Brookside – Dan Hayes added, “Our services provide loving care for that part of society that we know is the most vulnerable to Covid-19. Behind each number in this data is an individual who is loved and greatly missed by family and friends. Their loss is felt tremendously by my colleagues who have cared for and supported them, sometimes for many years. 

“The publication of this data allows us to once again give our sincerest condolences to those that have lost a loved one and to make the promise that those that passed away will be remembered by us for who they were in life, what they meant to their families and communities, and not solely for their cause of death. 

“My colleagues on the front line of social care delivery performed a brave and vital service to the nation when they faced the challenge of Covid-19 head on, and we should also acknowledge the many thousands of lives that were saved through their dedication.”  

A spokesperson for Blenheim House Care Home said, “Throughout the past 18 months we have been so incredibly proud of the unwavering commitment of our team at Blenheim House Care Home. We have been in awe of the dedication they have shown to go above and beyond every single day to keep our residents as safe as possible.  

“The impact of losing a loved one has been even harder for everyone and our love and support goes out to those who have been affected across the world. 

“Despite the unrecognisable pain felt, the shared tears and the virtual hugs with families, friends and colleagues, our Blenheim House team have continued every single day, as they have stood on the frontline, to bring sparkle, smiles and happiness to the lives of the residents, their families and our teams, keeping everyone safe and connected together. They simply are the heroes of our time.”

This is the first time a breakdown of the numbers of people who died with Covid-19 in ‘large’ (50+ beds) or ‘medium’ (11-14 beds) care homes across England has been published. The data excludes care homes classed as ‘small’, which have 10 or fewer beds. 

The highest number of deaths in a single care home in Wiltshire was 25, recorded at a ‘large’ care home in Trowbridge. 

In response to the data, Wiltshire Council joined with the Wiltshire Care Partnership to explain that the data “does not in any way suggest that care homes or their staff acted inappropriately or failed to follow the guidance”.  

“Rather, an unknown and deadly virus has spread throughout communities, including care homes, and the most vulnerable have been the largest group impacted,” they continued.   

Wiltshire Care Partnership’s CEO, Jo Howes said, “The numbers of deaths in care homes overall have been widely reported, but publishing numbers per home fails to recognise the whole story, which includes the national decision to discharge people from hospital to care homes without testing early on, the initial lack of PPE and the difficulty of responding to new strains of the virus before the science has really had a chance to understand how it spreads.  

“It also fails to recognise the loss felt by care staff at the passing of those in their care, through no fault of their own, or the hard work the care sector has contributed to fighting this virus during the pandemic.” 

Director of Public Health for Wiltshire, Kate Blackburn added, “Care providers in Wiltshire have worked hard to maintain dignity and respect for residents and to cope with immense pressure, and I would like to recognise their hard work and dedication. We will continue to work closely with and support our care providers as they maintain their dedication to their residents during these challenging times.” 

“It is important to note that death notifications do not in themselves indicate poor quality care,” said a spokesperson for the CQC, “particularly given the potential influence of variable factors, including rates of local community transmission, size of the care home, and the age and health and care needs of the people living there. Moreover, many notifications relate to the deaths of care home residents which occurred in other care settings.” 

“In considering this data it is important to remember that every number represents a life lost,” added the CQC’s chief inspector for adult social care, Kate Terroni, “and families, friends and those who cared for them who are having to face the sadness and consequences of their death.”