The experiences of relatives of care home residents during the Covid-19 pandemic

Healthwatch Lancashire in collaboration with Lancashire County Council Quality, Contracts and Safeguarding Adults Service, created three surveys. The surveys were designed to provide a ‘snapshot’ of the experience of people living in, working in and who had relatives in care homes in Lancashire during the pandemic. This report focuses on the feedback given by 82 respondents to the survey for the relatives of residents in care homes. The responses came from 24 different care homes.

All respondents felt they could contact the care home if they felt worried. Over three quarters felt that their relative was treated with dignity, they felt informed about their relative’s care, that their relative was safe, respected, valued, listened to and that they were given the opportunity to speak to their relative (via phone or video). Over half felt that their relative was not bored or lonely.

Respondents felt that their relative was safe as a result of enhanced safety and hygiene measures and care homes doing everything they could to keep them safe. Over half felt that nothing could have been done differently.

Many respondents felt grateful towards care home staff and managers and how they feel they have done an excellent job. Concerns that people did raise, in many ways, reflect the themes and problems of lockdown in a wider sense. There were three respondents who experienced issues during this period.  There are explored in more detail later in the report.

The report contains one recommendation for the council to ensure that relatives know how to raise a concern and who they should raise it with.  There is a response from the local authority setting out the actions to be taken to implement the recommendation.