The number of daily coronavirus deaths in England and Wales has fallen in hospitals but risen in care homes – with one-third of all coronavirus deaths now happening in care homes.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that there were 2000 care home deaths relating to the virus during the week ending 17th April, which was double the previous week. This brought the overall figure of care home coronavirus related deaths up to 3,096 since the pandemic began.
Labour’s shadow social care minister, Liz Kendall, said it was clear that the virus was having a “devastating impact” on care homes,” and that “urgent action is needed to get a grip of this problem.”
However, despite the rise in care home coronavirus fatalities, the number of hospital deaths relating to COVID-19 has fallen.
Why official virus care home deaths may be an underestimate
While the ONS has been able to track care home deaths by looking at death certificates – the data lags behind the hospital deaths provided by the government – indicating that the number of coronavirus care home deaths may have risen further than the reports suggest.
Up until 10 April, just over 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths had been recorded in care homes, with that figure increasing by another 2,000 to hit 3,096 in England and Wales
Data provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which receives reports from care homes in England directly, suggest the following week (up until last Friday) saw an even bigger rise.
Combatting home care coronavirus deaths with live-in care
With many individuals now believing care homes are not a safe option for elderly or vulnerable loved ones, people are seeking a safer alternative to care homes.
Throughout the whole pandemic, the homecare industry has stood strong and has continued to provide round-the-clock, high-quality and most importantly, safe care to those in need.
A safe form of care during the COVID-19 pandemic is live-in care.
Live-in care places a dedicated health care specialist within the home to provide individual care (or care for couples). Working to a tailored care plan, a live-in carer will ensure the highest standards of care are met. While also carrying out (but not limited to) the below:
- Collecting and administering medication
- Managing conditions such as dementia, strokes and complex health conditions
- Conducting household jobs such as handling the cooking, cleaning for our clients and ensuring the smooth running of the house
- Helping the elderly to self-isolate comfortably and safely
- Ensuring a safe living environment and managing infection control
- Providing companionship in a time of need
If you believe that you or a loved one require live-in care, then please get in touch with our team and we’ll be more than happy to help.
