Charities band together to call for relatives of dementia patients to be treated as key workers

Several leading charities have called on the Government to treat relatives of dementia patients residing in care homes as key workers.

Bosses from organisations including Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society penned a letter urging Health Secretary Matt Hancock to permit visits amid the coronavirus crisis, arguing the care given by family members is "essential" to residents' wellbeing.

Current guidance says visits to care homes in England should only take place in exceptional circumstances, such as when a person is dying.

But the charities called for dementia patients' relatives to now be given the same key worker access to such facilities and coronavirus testing as members of staff.

Their letter, reported on by the BBC, warned that current social distancing restrictions have contributed to a “hidden catastrophe” in care homes, which have been closed to non-essential visitors since March.

It said the "enforced separation" of care home residents and relatives has caused a "deterioration" in the former's mental and physical health.

The charities argued the problem is particularly acute for those living with dementia, who make up more than 70 per cent of the population of care homes.

The charities also claimed the varied guidance concerning care home visits throughout the different parts of the UK had caused "additional confusion and stress" for providers and family members, with backers of their letter calling for revised guidance in England.

In Scotland, care homes that have been declared virus-free for 28 days have been able to accept visitors again from July 3.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, care homes with no Covid-19 cases have been permitted to allow one person to visit at a time since Monday, with a second person accommodated "where possible".

And in Wales, visits to care homes have been allowed since June 1, provided they take place outside and 2m social distancing rules and hygiene procedures are followed.

The charities' letter came a day after Mr Hancock said the Government would be setting out details “in the next few days” of how "Covid-secure" care home visits can resume.

He told ITV News on Thursday: “People are yearning to see their loved ones and the residents of care homes get so much from visitors.

“It’s been a very, very long period and that period where there hasn’t been any visiting to care homes, that’s coming to an end very soon.

“I very much hope that in the next few days we’ll be able to make this change. We’ve been very careful about it and we’ve got to get it right.

“We’ve got to make sure it works for each local area but I hope we can make that change very soon.”

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