Help - Covid drama

Just caught up with this and I thought it was great. travelsafar the man got out into the car park because he learned the code. The consequences of his escaping were shown later. There are heaps of care vacancies just now so I think she would have got the job. Great acting from Jodie Comer and Steve Graham. I thought he showed the changes in mood so well and sometimes his face looked so blank, as if he had no memories.

It’s terribly sad. I’ve chatted with my friend on the phone throughout the pandemic. She’s no idea how her father caught it and can only assume that someone visited him and didn’t wear a mask. He just kept asking to go home.

I'm sorry about your friends Father Maybe.

I wondered whether the ending was based on those relatives that tried to take their loved ones from care homes without the proper permission?

They do medicate young people with MH or LD in residential care FAR too much, so from that pint of view is pretty realistic

After feeling quite raw from watching Help I had a phone call from a friend today to say that her father has just died from covid in hospital. Without going into details it’s been incredibly traumatic for her. Really brings it home especially when you hear the daily number of deaths.

It illustrates exactly how valued (or not) certain sections of society are - by our government (so called).

Clear those hospital beds - and hope nobody notices who's expendable. The rush to issue DNRs was disgraceful.

They managed to find those ventilators - and open those Nightingale 'hospitals' though. They were planned to accommodate the dying bed blockers and the unconscious on ventilation - but little used.

Spoiler alert!

I thought it was really good but there have been more than a few dramas and films centered around helping a resident escape from a care home. At that point I nearly switched off as it lost its credibility for me.

Brilliant acting though.

It brought me to tears but then I have worked in a care home since the beginning of this pandemic and we lost eight people, we actually had a memorial service today, it was very sad…

I enjoyed it and was close to tears at a couple of points. I agree the ending was a bit odd but they had to have a conclusion I suppose.
Excellent acting from all involved.
The statistics at the end were sobering.

I agree. The Virtues was fantastic.

We enjoyed watching Help. I imagine in years to come it will be interesting for younger people to watch it and see what happened. The acting was brilliant.

Yes, selling off Channel 4 (and taking more control of the BBC) is a retrograde step. I hope the next government can reverse some of the assaults on our free media, as freedom of expression is a key part of a democratic society.

Doodle dog. Thanks. I missed the point you made even though I was concentrating on the programme. Makes more sense now. But there won’t be programmes like this. The government want more programmes like Hi De Hi and Ch4 will be sold to people that will shy away from dramas like Help.

JaneJudge

Sorry, I know this is off topic but did you all watch the virtues? Steven Graham was in that too.

I didn’t but I will now. He’s another reason why I watched it, though.

GrandmaKT

My God, that girl can act!

That’s the main reason I watched it. I,too make a point of not watching anything these days that might depress me albeit, at the same time trying to keep abreast of what’s happening in other ways. But I knew I had to watch her and I would be riveted to my seat and she didn’t let me down. Have never seen her in a drama where she’s used her own accent, either.

Jodie Comer is incredible. Totally believable.

Sorry, I know this is off topic but did you all watch the virtues? Steven Graham was in that too.

Thank you for posting dorsetcupcake. You shouldn't feel guilty about leaving work, you had to protect yourself. My daughter has a severe learning disability and was in residential care and I brought her home to care for her myself for several months before she returned. Then there was another lockdown and she stayed but I bought her home for a couple of months over Christmas too. It was extremely hard and I know my limits. Everyone did what they had to do but you are completely right, people have been lied to and there should be outrage. The government were still saying it was only affecting people in end of life care at one point when they knew very well young people with learning disabilities and other disabilities in care were also dying. My own daughter was issued with an automatic DNR. It was absolutely disgraceful.

POSSIBLE SPOILER AT THE END OF THIS POST!

It probably was far-fetched, travelasfar, but most dramas have an element of that, which is what makes the story engaging. Many 'true-life' stories have added scenes to make them dramatically interesting, and those who don't are often a bit boring. Real life is not as interesting as drama (mine certainly isn't!).

I agree that the end was daft, but I thought it might be replicating the way that someone 'kidnapped' her mum from a care home because she (the mum) wasn't allowed to leave. not quite the same, as in the drama they broke into a caravan, and Tony didn't really have agency to consent (or did he?).

Anyway, apart from that, I thought it was excellent, and I think we need more TV that challenges the government (whoever they are - not just this useless bunch), in the manner of Boys From The Blackstuff, or Cathy Come Home.

Yes Grandma KT can't she just. It was a difficult watch, but brilliantly acted all through.Times gave it 5stars ,calling it a" shaming nightmare all ministers should see." Yes the plot wavered at the end but those characters were so believable,so well drawn.I was drawn into the whole piece. Not to be missed.

My God, that girl can act!

I started watching and after a few minutes turned over. I use to work in elderly care services and if a person being interviewed had spoke to us in that manner and stormed off no way would she have been given a job. When you are dealing with those suffering with MH issues,dementia etc you need to be able to remain calm and not rise to the bait and she did!!!!! Also the guy out in the carpark with the cuppa how did he get out if the front entrance door was a secure one. Those two points put me right off, sorry, i know many Gransnetters would enjoy this program but it was just too far fetched for me.

I won't be watching this as it's too real. This pandemic has been harrowing and realistic enough without watching a drama about.

Now Vigil ........or maybe not.

My daughter and I both worked in care last year. I fully understand why people might find programmes about Covid difficult to watch.
I was high risk health wise and left in mid March. I remember coming home after my last shift during which I had been exceptionally cautious. Stripping at the door,everything in the wash,shower etc. A week later covid was rife in the home. Over 20 residents died including many on the floor I worked on. Many staff were I'll too. I felt so guilty not being there for my residents and have heard snippets of how it was.
My daughter worked throughout the pandemic. She commented it bought back how terrifying it was.
I remember my anger and disbelief at the comments by the government about a ring of care. It was an outright lie. My daughters care home didnt get proper PPE until July. It wasnt the manager refusing to buy it- there was none to be bought.
I dont know what breaks my heart more,the fact it happened or the remarkable lack of outrage it did.
I know it wasnt just the UK either.
I also wonder if people realise that the majority of care homes in UK are owned by large off shore companies whose only concern is profit for share holders? My daughters care home owners also owned fast food chains. The most vulnerable members of our society are commodities.

I usually avoid anything about Alzheimer’s but made a point of watching it because of the people in it. We mustn’t forget how the government let people in care homes down and lied about it….