Care homes: Caller's gut-wrenching story of mother's descent into depression
7 September 2020, 16:25
Caller's gut-wrenching account of mother's condition in care home
This caller left Shelagh Fogarty reeling as she shared the story of her mother - who has slipped into depression because of her care home's policy of coronavirus isolation.
Carol told Shelagh Fogarty that her 94-year-old mother has been prescribed anti-depressants to cope during lockdown, which has continued since, down to her care home's policy on visiting amid the risk of coronavirus.
"She doesn't care anymore, she just wants to die and she'll tell anyone who'll listen," Carol revealed.
Shelagh wondered why she didn't "take her out and get nursing care in the house," in an effort to keep the family closer together, as her brother lives in Buckinghamshire, the mother's care home is in Kent and Carol herself lives in Norfolk.
Carol told listeners that she had to sell her house so her mother could live in the care home, which has put her in sheltered accommodation.
The caller understood the care home's position, arguing "they haven't had Covid in the home and they're trying so hard to keep it like that."
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"They're not willing to ease any of their guidelines because if they do it for us, they've to do it for everybody else."
Carol went on to mention her mother has caught a cold in the meantime, which has left her on edge.
"I'm just worried this is one step nearer to pneumonia and I won't see her again."
The caller told Shelagh that her mother isn't an isolated case, noting "there are others there that are going downhill too because of the lockdown."
