A care home owner who lost more than 20 residents to Covid-19 has relived the ordeal as new data reveals the tragic death toll suffered by Welsh care homes.<\/p>\n
Brian Rosenberg, who owns Tregwilym Lodge Nursing and Residential Home in Rogerstone, Newport, said lessons had to be learned from the catastrophe to improve the handling of any future crisis.<\/p>\n
In April 2020 \u2013 at the height of the health emergency – undertakers were unable to keep up with demand as a result of spiralling deaths at his home and in the community, many of which were unconfirmed due to the lack of testing.<\/p>\n
Mr Rosenberg said the virus spread like wildfire at the 74-bed home, leaving staff powerless to protect residents, despite their relentless efforts.<\/p>\n
He was speaking as Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) \u2013 the independent regulator of social care and childcare in Wales \u2013 released new statistics showing Covid-19-related deaths in individual care homes in Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were devastated. For 98 per cent of the people who come to Tregwilym, it\u2019s the last place they will ever know.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are frail and some might have advanced dementia and they become almost like one big family.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you lose one member of your family after another, and watch them go in this way in quick succession and continue to work despite the circumstances, it\u2019s heartbreaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2021, we are all much wiser and we have the benefit of vaccinations. But at that time, because of the way the virus was being transmitted and handled \u2013 and the lack of testing \u2013 transmission was inevitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was totally shocking for us was the rapidity of how it went through the home. Those who worked through it were literally on their knees. They were broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Care Forum Wales, which represents more than 450 care homes, nursing homes and other health and social care providers, said the release of the figures was difficult for all concerned and said it was vitally important the information was handled with sensitivity and the greatest of respect.<\/p>\n
Chief executive Mary Wimbury said: \u201cAs the voice of the care sector in Wales, it is important to remind people of the deadly, indiscriminate nature of this virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Care Inspectorate Wales have made clear, the number of death notifications involving Covid-19 has no bearing on the quality of care delivered and was instead down to a whole range of factors including rates of community transmission, age, ethnicity and the fragile and vulnerable health of those living in our care homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBitter experience showed that once the virus had a foothold, it was incredibly difficult to control. It\u2019s only vaccination that has changed that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe valiant efforts of staff and carers deserve the highest praise and gratitude \u2013 these people risked their lives in frontline care roles to protect those people in their care and tragically some paid the ultimate price. Even now, we cannot underestimate the impact constant vigilance against Covid-19 has had on staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Rosenberg, who has owned Tregwilym since 1985, said it was important the Welsh Government learned lessons from the crisis but that it was unhelpful to be drawn into a \u201cblame game\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m keen on lessons being learnt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re looking for people to point the finger at, then the inquiry will become very defensive. Lots of people will be trying to protect their own position.\u00a0 We need an open and honest discussion on what went wrong and what are the lessons learnt.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to bear in mind in early 2020, there were no vaccinations, there was a very poor testing regime for people going in and out of hospital and in particular discharges so that if they were asymptomatic, they were not being tested.\u00a0 In my view, that was one of the biggest problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt undoubtedly cost lives and was a big mistake but it was the prevailing approach at that time, it was flawed and it was wrong. We can all say that in hindsight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have such a virus so transmissible you err on the side of caution, you come back to the point we are looking after the most vulnerable and fail people in our society. Therefore you should be ultra-cautious not cavalier.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday the thinking is totally different \u2013 they test, test, test, test, test. Why couldn\u2019t we have done it then? The resources were the same then as they are today and the testing regime was available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe upshot was that over a very short period we lost just over 20 people and it went through the home like wildfire. So much so, that the undertakers could not even keep pace with us because not only where there deaths in our home, there were a lot of deaths in the community. It was something like you would expect to see in a third world country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Wimbury said Care Forum Wales had been quick of the mark in calling for all these issues \u2013 including the dire shortage of PPE – to be addressed as a matter of urgency.<\/p>\n
\u201cCare Forum Wales fought for action and support and was instrumental in securing care homes a financial lifeline to absorb mounting costs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch more is now known about the risk of asymptomatic spread of the virus and the risk of airborne infection and it is important we continue to learn from experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single death was a tragedy for the loved ones of those who passed away. It was and remains the greatest crisis ever faced by the social care sector in Wales. The publication of these figures underlines the terrible toll we have all suffered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Rosenberg said the only silver lining had been the successful roll-out of the vaccination programme, which continues to save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have another home \u2013 not in Wales \u2013 and 10 residents have the illness. All of them have been double jabbed and are going around looking like nothing has happened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a big success story here \u2013 the vaccination programme has really worked. Give the Welsh Government their dues. They were quick. They were focused. I\u2019m all for criticising when you need to but give credit where it is due.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Rosenberg, whose home was at one stage losing \u00a315,000 a week through spiralling costs in the pandemic, said care homes would now face fresh challenges in March next year when the Government\u2019s hardship fund comes to an end, threatening the closure of many more homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole sector is massively underfunded. It has got worse as a result of Covid and patently needs more investment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know there are a number of care homes on the brink of financial collapse. The hardship fund has helped \u2013 it has helped everybody. But it\u2019s now tapering off and will finish next March and unless there\u2019s a review of funding, homes will close.\u201d<\/p>\n