'FORGOTTEN FRONTLINE'
A CARE home boss laid bare the full horror of the coronavirus crisis hitting “the forgotten front line”.
Nicola Richards recorded a video diary over two weeks — as 39 residents and workers were hit by the deadly bug.
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She told how staff faced a mounting daily battle to cope with the disease as it claimed the lives of eight of her elderly.
Her emotional video was released as campaigners branded the Government’s handling of Covid-19 cases in care homes “criminal”.
Some 1,000 old folk are thought to have died as the virus sweeps through the social care system.
But that figure — which experts fear will rocket due to a lack of protective equipment — is not included in the UK’s daily death toll. It has led to care homes being dubbed “the forgotten front line”.
Nicola is the director of Palms Row Healthcare in Sheffield, which runs three care homes in the city.
At one, Newfield Nursing Home, a whole floor has been devoted to caring for patients suffering from the virus.
She said in the video diary, recorded for Sky News: “There’s a lot of panic, unrest, apprehension, concern around — what does this mean? Where is it going to take us? How are we going to cope?
“We’ve got staff really fretting about this. Words cannot describe how difficult it is on the front line.
“The impact has been something else. We’ve never been faced with anything like this. The challenges have increased daily.
“I feel lessons need to be learned from what we have experienced over the last few weeks. I do hope there are changes on the back of what we have been through.”
She spoke out as campaigners yesterday demanded the Government do more to stop the spread of the disease in care homes.
Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle — who has called for a new Cabinet post to be created to focus on social care — said: “The crisis unfolding in our care homes is a crime.
"And to make matters worse, the deaths and suffering of old people are being swept under the carpet by the Government.
“If 15 children died in a nursery school our entire country would be at a standstill with grief.
“Yet we have had several care homes that have lost more than a dozen older people in a week and life just rattles on as if nothing happened. It is outrageous.”
The daily death toll from coronavirus released by the Department for Health and Social Care only includes hospital cases.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is now releasing the number of deaths in care homes.
But they are based on death certificates, which take time to be issued — meaning a lag in numbers.
The ONS said there were 20 deaths in care homes up to the week of March 27, but industry chiefs put the figure at about 1,000.
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There are fears the toll will rise sharply, partly due to a lack of personal protection equipment (PPE).
Nurse Laura Hibberd, who works at the Newfield home, said: “PPE is limited. We do have it on site but it’s a daily battle.
“I think we should have PPE readily available. Covid isn’t a surprise. It’s not happened overnight and we knew it was coming.
“It’s appalling that we’re having to struggle like this.”
Last week the Government’s chief medical officer Chris Witty said just over 9 per cent of care homes had cases of coronavirus.
But Care England, the industry body, said the true figure was nearer 50 per cent.
The chief executive, Professor Martin Green, reckoned: “Every person in a care home is in a high-risk category.
“They don’t just have one or two health conditions They have four, five, six, making them extremely vulnerable.
“It would help if we had a greater supply of personal protective equipment.
"Each care home has had a delivery but 300 masks is not enough where there are 60 or 70 people.”
Care homes badly hit include one in Yorkshire where 13 people have died and another in Northamptonshire where 11 have died.
Carol Jamabo
DEVOUT Christian Carol Jamabo is believed to have been the first care worker lost in the fight against coronavirus.
The 56-year-old, of Bury, Greater Manchester, fell ill around a week before her death on April 1 at Salford Royal hospital.
She had worked in the prison service and as an NHS administrator at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London but moved north to be near children Tonye, 25, and Abiye Selema, 22.
Her nephew Dakuro Fiberesima said: “She was an amazing aunt, fun and had a positive character.”
Carol had asthma. Abiye has tested positive for the virus.
Fifteen residents at a 69-bed care home in Luton, Beds, also died.
At least three carers have died in the past fortnight.
Trade union Unison, which represents many care staff, has sent a dossier of carers’ complaints over a lack of PPE to the Government.
One carer reportedly wore a bag over her face because a proper mask wasn’t available.
Prof Green said part of the problem was ageism — with residents being abandoned because they are old and already near the end of their lives. He said some GPs were not prepared to visit care homes.
Mr Kyle pointed out: “You have workers going from home to home to home so the system itself is infecting people. Changing the system will only happen if a Cabinet minister is appointed for social care even if it is only temporary,
“Three things need to happen — stop workers moving between care homes, get PPE into care homes and start testing staff.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday vowed to ramp up the level of testing for care staff.
He said: “Last week we were able to open up testing to staff in care homes.
Giuseppe Casciello
GREAT-grandad Giuseppe Casciello, a former head chef at London’s Savoy, died two days after his 95th birthday on March 30.
Giuseppe, who cooked for Prince Charles’s stag-do before he married Diana, passed away at Oaklands Nursing Home in Hove, East Sussex.
Son Raffaele, 64, said: “My father’s battle is over, but the magnificent staff there still fight to save the others, putting their lives at risk to protect the ones we love.”
Daughter Gisella said: “My dad’s main concern was to not ever be a burden.”
His granddaughter Carina told of his “hilarious sense of humour that left us crying with laughter”.
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“This is an area of incredibly high importance because some of the most vulnerable people live in care homes and therefore getting this right is just so important.
“One of the things we have succeeded in doing as a country during this crisis is recognising that our care staff are on the front line just as much as our NHS staff are.”
He said testing was now being rolled out to all carers.
Dean McKee
QPR supporter Dean McKee worked as a carer at an old people’s home before he fell ill and died on April 7 after an eight-day battle.
The 28-year-old, from Shepherd’s Bush, West London, wrote a poem about being a fan.
The football club promised: ‘‘A lifelong fan, Dean’s original piece ‘Born Blue and White’ will continue to be played before all home games.”
His family’s said: “We’re heartbroken. He was the kindest, sweetest man.”
Dean loved calling bingo numbers for residents at St Vincent’s House care home, Hammersmith.
His sister Louisa, 40, said: “It’s astonishing how many people loved him.”
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