Tuesday, 21 April 2020

NURSING HOME PROPRIETOR SAYS 'NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED HER FOR IMPACT OF COVID-19

The proprietor of a nursing home where seven patients with Covid-19 died over the past month said nothing could have prepared her for the impact of what they have been experiencing Lucy Flynn, of the Milbury Nursing Home in Navan, Co Meath, said after the first confirmed case in early March, 15 staff were advised to self-isolate. A further 25 staff "disappeared" because of what she described as the "fear factor" around Covid-19. Speaking on RTÉ's Claire Byrne Live, she said her home had a total of 13 positive cases so far, but despite requests to test everyone in the home, the Health Service Executive only agreed to that this weekend after a change to guidelines. Ms Flynn also said it had been heart-breaking that families cannot be with their loved ones as they die and described it as one of the most difficult aspects of Covid-19.

The Holy Year Cross On The Summit Of Bray Head, 
County Wicklow Ireland.
She said: "Residents' families came to windows, used telephones, WhatsApp, video calls, but it's not the same as the human touch, sitting by the bed, holding your mum and dad's hand for the final time." Speaking on the same programme, Consultant in Infectious Disease Professor Sam McConkey said he personally also found this one of the most difficult aspects of the virus when dealing with patients in hospitals. He said in future nursing homes may have to have an extra 20-30% staff to cope with further outbreaks. Prof McConkey said another option would be to have staff live in the nursing home so they could cocoon along with residents. He said he had not anticipated how much of an issue nursing homes would be and he said everyone was learning during this outbreak.
Sociologist Prof Niamh Hourigan said that social cohesion has been the success story of Ireland's response to Covid-19. She said the success of post-lockdown measures will depend on that social cohesion and if it falls away "we're in serious trouble". She said the Government could not take compliance for granted and they would need to give clear and explicit guidelines spelling out exactly how restrictions are to be lifted and the rationale behind that. Prof Hourigan also said it was important that the crisis was not exploited to bring about other change.

 Latest coronavirus stories 

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 https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-who-virus/coronavirus-very-likely-of-animal-origin-no-sign-of-lab-manipulation-who-idUKKCN22319Z 


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