Nursing home residents were denied family life with no recourse

Government readily acknowledged lockdowns increases risks of domestic violence and child protection rates in private homes, yet refused to recognise the risks of increased institutional abuse while nursing homes operated behind closed doors

As a volunteer family led advocacy group, Care Champions work with families who have shared their experiences of infringements of rights, abuse, neglect and unnecessary separation from residents during Covid-19. Picture: iStock

Imagine you are a nursing home resident. Cocooned away from family and friends since March 2020, you have lived in the near total care and control of care staff, reliant on them to ensure your rights are respected and protected. You live on an island within an island, it appears; for while the Government says one thing, your nursing home does another. 

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly repeatedly urged nursing homes to facilitate safe window visits, yet in your home, you were barred from looking out your window at the faces you love most for months on end.