The care home situation is a tough one. Having had both parents in law in care homes and a mother in and out of respite I would like to offer a few observations
The majority of care homes are privately owned. Some by a small concern, others by chains of homes or charities. They are not generally NHS or council run these days. Qualified staff are few and far between. Many care homes having a district nurse flitting in and out and if they are lucky, a doctor allocated to the home for advice or for visits. Most of the time this is not an issue. Good social care, being warm and safe and plenty of good food and social stimulation is fine.
However, this virus thrives on prolonged contact and enclosed areas. The same with many viruses and illness. Anyone with a relative in a care home will know how noro-virus can rip through even the best home in an instant.
So it was only a matter of time before a serious virus got into the homes.
In our area several homes avoided home grown infections and deaths quite simply. Anyone with symptoms was QUICKLY quarantined. Newcomers were quarantined, people discharged from hospital were quarantined. Visitors were not allowed physical contact. Staff cared for either sick and quarantined people or fitter ones. The people in quarantine were effectively barrier nursed. The others were cared for by strict hygiene.
Wasn't social isolation recommended for everyone at the start of lock down. Anyone with symptoms had strict isolation. No mixing of households, no physical contact with a non household person. Shielding etc etc. we all heard it. Why would care homes be exempt? Its just like a family member having to leave the house for some reason, being in an risky environment and then coming home too elderly relatives with complex health issues. Or in this case,a care home thirty or so individuals who probably were classed as shielding.
While it is easy to blame the hospitals for discharging people back to the homes without testing, or the government, or Boris, perhaps the homes should have had a strict enforceable infection control policy in place for any infectious threat. Particularly homes belonging to chains or charities where polices can be written and staff fully informed . Perhaps the care home owners should think ahead and plan for the next outbreak. With care home fees ranging from £25000 to £40000 a year depending on where you live, basic, simple measures such as this can go a long way to preventing and reducing such a hideous situation.
No one comes out of this mess with a clean record, but blaming Boris is a quick fix and saves everyone looking at their own piece of the jigsaw.