“Someone will collapse after this is over.”

Every afternoon, Anne Cadwallader Stands on the box and talks to her husband through the 2 inch gap in the nursing home window.

“It’s absolutely terrible. I can’t contact him, I can’t hold him, I can’t comfort him, I can’t reassure him.”

On Easter Sunday, she realized she was one of many. “For every window on the ground floor, kids, sons, and daughters screamed with their noses against the windows, trying to understand,” she says.

“It was a terrible miserable sight to see everyone desperately trying to communicate and reassuring their families. I have never seen anything like that in my life. did.”

Cadwallader’s husband, Gerry O’Hare (79), lives in the west Fruithill Nursing Home. Belfast. He moved there when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 15 years ago and she couldn’t take care of him at home. As with all nursing homes, visitors have been unavailable for the past month as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m alive sometimes. Cadwallader expects to hear that every time he gets a call, Gerry got it.

“He’s so weak. He had pneumonia last June, so I would be scared if he got it and he can’t survive it.”

Has 483 nursing homes Northern Ireland, Care for up to about 16,000 residents. As of Sunday, coronavirus outbreaks have been confirmed in 53 of them. There are some dead.

“Some people seem to have that attitude. Well, you’ve finished your life, you’re a consumable, it’s time you shuffle.”

The exact number of people killed by the virus is not clear. Number released daily by Public health bureau Only those who have been diagnosed as virus positive and have died in the hospital are recorded. Northern Ireland statistics and research InstituteAs of April 10, at least 39 suspected coronavirus-related deaths were in nursing homes or hospice and were not included in PHA figures.

“For those who have died in nursing homes, it’s very important that their passages be accepted, no matter where they are in society,” he said. Eddie Lynch, Told BBC Radio Ulster.

Cadwallader agrees. “Some people seem to have an attitude. Well, you spent your life, you are disposable, it’s time you shuffle, and it’s very annoying and very patronizing More and more, it’s a cold way to treat and think about people. ”

IRA members

O’Hare is famous. A former member of the IRA, he was imprisoned in Mt Joy Prison for some time and was imprisoned before becoming Irish Press journalist and news editor. He founded the Travel Newspaper when it went bankrupt Travel extra, Still running after 25 years.

At Fruit Hill, two coronavirus-infected residents died in hospital. Others have been diagnosed with the virus.

“I was disappointed when I heard. [daily] The numbers did not reflect all deaths, “says Seon MacStiofain, Nurse Manager at Fruithill Nursing Home.

“Health Secretary England [Matt Hancock] After the death of four health workers, it was not possible to determine how many nurses had died or how many caregivers were there.

“For them it’s nothing, but for us it’s all.”

Life at home has changed since the blockade. Due to additional infection control procedures, residents are self-isolated in their bedrooms. If someone shows symptoms of coronavirus, the infection is managed in their room and additional personal protective equipment [PPE] Staff available. MacStiofain says testing has been done “from the beginning”.

“What is always at the root of this [assumption] People in nursing homes are abandoned and die, which is unfair. ”

North Ministry of Public Health, All nursing home residents and symptomatic staff have been tested. Union unison Said there must be an immediate program of testing for residents and staff of all nursing homes.

Pauline ShepherdCEO of representative organization Independent healthcare providerSaid the PPE supply is currently distributed but the tests are applied unevenly. She urges deeper consideration of statistics, including “people in a nursing home that are recovering.”

“What is always at the root of this [assumption] Nursing home people are abandoned and dead, which she says is unfair.

Emotional tension

MacStiofain witnessed first-hand the emotional tension between the work and the healthcare professional.

“There will be a lot of people who will crumble after this is over, and we need support and help for them.

“Governments and society also need to take a step back and look at how we fund health care. This includes social care.”

“A local family walks every day out of the house to applaud.”

But there are also positives. As a nurse, MacStiofain said in 30 years:

“I have a local family walking out of their homes and clapping outside.

“We are very proud that they can take care of the ones they love.”

Cadwallader also shows her gratitude. “Thursday night, I stood outside, banged a pot with a wooden spoon and went up and down the street with everyone in the neighborhood, all the staff there were doing I wanted you to know that I am thankful.

“There is nothing we can do other than hope and prayer.”