SELFLESS care home staff have been praised for taking the decision to protect residents by locking down with them.

Wrexham’s Bay Tree House and Cherry Tree Care Home - run by Orchard Care Group - stopped visits about six weeks ago as a coronavirus precaution.

Operations manager Gaynor Jones told the Leader both care homes have now been able to take the protective measures a step further thanks to the support of their hard working teams.

The Leader:

Cherry Tree Care Home

“Because we had a few residents we were worried about,” she explained “we had some tests done for coronavirus.

“Fortunately they came back negative but we realised then how much PPE (personal protective equipment) we would need if we had an outbreak.”

She said as a knock-on effect of the national demand for PPE, Orchard’s care homes have had to source equipment online in order to top up items provided by the local authority.

“We’re hearing about more and more care homes having coronavirus,” she continued.

“And even though we had stopped visits, there was always the risk of staff going home and bringing it back in.

The Leader:

Manor Park Care Home in Holt. Image: Google

“So we decided we would lockdown voluntarily for the foreseeable future - and staff were more than happy to come forward to do that.”

The act means ten members of staff will now live and work at each care home for, potentially, a couple of months.

Gaynor continued: “We told them it could be for six to eight weeks.

“That means they are not going to see their own families.

“There will be so many of them working in the night and so many in the day.

“We’re going to try to carry on as normal, very positive and upbeat.

“I am so proud of them and can’t say enough as to what they have given up - it really is selfless.”

Gaynor added a system of Facebook groups and video link calling as a way to keep in touch had been gratefully received by families, as well as by staff.

Part of the homes have been designated for staff to have time out after their 12 hour shifts, with Netflix and Skype so they can keep in touch with their families.

Staff at the Manor Park Care Centre in Holt are also locking down with residents.

Owner Ricki Bibi told the Leader: “As a provider, we are thinking outside the box.

“The staff got together with managers and decided this is what we will do - it is an incredibly selfless thing to do.

“They have their own families which they are not going to be able to see for a period of time.

“Everyone is trying their best and I would like to thank them.

“This is unprecedented. Nobody knows what is going to happen but we have a team of fantastic people and they are working very hard.

“I think carers in general deserve a big shout out. We of course appreciate our NHS.

“But more people need to think about the community carers, the domiciliary and residential carers.

“And not forgetting the unsung heroes; people who are locked down at home caring for elderly and vulnerable residents.

“There are many people out there doing lots of things.”