Care homes must not become 'shadows in our communities'

Source: Catholic Union

The Catholic Union has called on the Government to give greater support to people who live and work in care homes.

The number of deaths from coronavirus among care home residents has reduced, but it is still a high proportion of the total number of deaths.

In a letter to Care Minister, Helen Whately MP, the Catholic Union urged the Government to uphold the dignity of older people during the coronavirus and recognise the profound importance of care work to society.

The Government's scientific advice and statistics show that older people are amongst some of the worst affected, and people in care homes are particularly vulnerable.

The Catholic Union has set out five proposals to make life better for people in care homes. These include, allowing friends and priests to visit the dying, more support for occupational therapy and activities to support mental health, and an end to do not resuscitate orders being signed by care home residents during lockdown.

The letter from Catholic Union Director, Nigel Parker, also highlights the importance of Catholic care and the work of groups like the Caritas Social Action Network in helping to solve the social care crisis.

Catholic Union Director, Nigel Parker, commented: "Coronavirus is having a devasting impact on many people. We know that older people - particularly those in care homes - are some of the most vulnerable in society. With a ban on general visits, care homes are increasingly being cut off from the rest of society. They must not be allowed to become shadows in our communities - places where people are forgotten about. Throughout this crisis, we must continue to uphold the dignity of human life, especially for those people who rely on residential care. Carers across the country are doing an amazing job during this difficult time and deserve our full support. The Catholic Union has set out some practical proposals for how the lives of people who live and work in care homes could be improved at this time. These proposals would help bring light to care homes across the country during these dark days"

Read the full letter: https://catholicunion.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Letter-to-Helen-Whately-re-care-homes.pdf

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