Coronavirus: Care home uses glass screen to let residents see loved ones

After a couple of pumps of hand sanitiser, Judy Ogilvy walks into a small room and says simply: “Hello, dad.”

Pre-COVID-19, that would be nothing special. But today it is.

Because this is the Beverley Parklands care home in East Yorkshire, and it’s the first time Ms Ogilvy has seen her 92-year-old father, Dick Ferriday, face to face for 11 weeks.

This visit has been made possible by the simplest of solutions: a sheet of airtight acrylic glass cuts the room in half.

On one side, where Ms Ogilvy now sits, there is a door leading directly to the car park. On the other side, with a door leading into the care home, sits Mr Ferriday and one of the staff.

It’s frustrating that the physical contact is absent. The hugs, the holding of hands, the daughter’s caring touch, all will have to wait for another time.

But for now, this is a welcome alternative.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen dad since the end of February,” Ms Ogilvy said.

“I’ve talked to him on the phone, which is lovely, but it’s not the same as seeing him face to face, seeing his smile.

“It’s still upsetting that I can’t hug him. But it’s definitely the next best thing.”

The safe visiting room is the idea of the Yorkare Care Group, and it’s being installed at each of its five homes.

Jonathan Garton, operations director, said: “Our staff have been amazing at keeping our residents spirits high throughout this period, but they are missing visits from their family over the last 10 weeks, and hopefully we have come up with the solution.”

The issue of bio security and the government’s handling of the pandemic in relation to care homes has been in sharp focus since the early days of the crisis.

Hundreds of care homes have been affected by the virus, and the Yorkare group is no different.

In their population of around 350 residents at five sites, there have been four deaths where COVID-19 infection was either confirmed or suspected.

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Yorkare says it took swift action to keep residents and staff safe, closing the home to visitors eight days before it was recommended by the government on 23 March.

It also instructed staff to wear face masks from 8 April, nine days before the government advisory was issued.

As the care home continues its efforts to keep staff and residents protected, it says extra safety precautions have been introduced to make the visiting facility COVID-19 secure.

They include a full safety guide for visitors, a timetable with gaps between slots to maintain social distancing, thorough cleaning schedules completed in between each visit, and alcohol gel stations.

Back in the visiting room, Mr Ferriday still can’t take the regular walks into Beverley that he used to enjoy so much, and tells his daughter he’s worried he may struggle to regain his physical fitness levels after restrictions are lifted.

He’s happy that after almost three months, he can at least share his frustrations with his daughter face to face.

But the hugs will sadly have to wait.

Next week from Monday to Thursday, Dermot Murnaghan will be hosting After the Pandemic: Our New World – a series of special live programmes about what our world will be like once the pandemic is over.

We’ll be joined by some of the biggest names from the worlds of culture, politics, economics, science and technology. And you can take part too.

If you’d like to be in our virtual audience – from your own home – and put questions to the experts, email afterthepandemic@sky.uk

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Care home uses glass screen to let residents see loved ones