'What families need is answers': Advocacy group hits out at covid evaluation sessions

Majella Beattie of Care Champions says: 'Families do not need a session that is bereavement-focused now, four or five years on.' Picture: Moya Nolan

The covid-19 evaluation team will this month meet with just over 100 relatives of people who died in nursing homes during the pandemic, leaving many others “disappointed” and still seeking answers.

Starting from May 12, the sessions will take place in Dublin, Limerick, and Galway only, according to information shared with bereaved relatives.

A maximum of seven sessions will be held, with average numbers expected to be 15 at each. People can bring up to two support people with them.

'Not a structure to establish facts'

Relatives have been told that the final report will share anonymised quotes only.

“It will bring together the lived experiences of those attending the listening sessions, rather than providing individual accounts,” the information leaflets say.

Each session will last three hours and will see relatives tell their story to evaluation chairwoman Professor Anne Scott.

They were told: “The sessions are not being set up as a structure to establish facts or question people’s experiences.” 

Care Champions advocacy group has supported families and nursing home residents since the early months of the pandemic.

Majella Beattie is extremely disappointed with the plans, saying members wanted something very different.

“It’s not good enough,” she said. “It’s a disservice not just to the people who died, it’s also losing that chance to really learn lessons from the pandemic.

“And it’s also changing what in the future will be a historic record, it’s not going to be factual.” 

'Families need answers'

A spokesman for the evaluation said that “experienced, trauma-informed facilitators from an organisation called Quality Matters” will support people attending.

However, Ms Beattie pointed out many of the relatives are already in regular therapy sessions.

Others have long benefited from free supports through the Irish Hospice Foundation and SoSad, thanks to intervention by Care Champions.

“Families do not need a session that is bereavement-focused now, four or five years on,” she said.

“What families need is answers. They want their relatives’ records and they want to know what happened to their loved ones. And they want to be able to ask questions about how policies were made.” 

She added people want to “explain how the process has failed” them during and since the pandemic.

The evaluation spokesman said: “In relation to the upcoming private group bereavement sessions, the evaluation is in direct contact with attendees who wish to partake, and all those who indicated an interest in taking part in these sessions have been invited to do so.” 

Ms Beattie disputed that, saying she knows people who had to write multiple times seeking a response.

The spokesman described the sessions as “empathetic listening opportunities, without any questioning”.

It will be, he said, “an opportunity for bereaved relatives, in a personal capacity, to share their experience in a private group setting directly with the chair of the evaluation, Professor Anne Scott".

The sessions take place on May 12 and May 14 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Dublin, May 15 at the Absolute Hotel Limerick and May 23 at the Galmont Hotel in Galway.

Some five families who lost loved ones to covid-19 at the Ballynoe Nursing Home in Cork have launched landmark wrongful death actions in the High Court.

Last week, a settlement was announced for one of those cases for the death of 81-year-old former Irish Distillers worker James Lee in February 2021.