Horsham man who hasn’t seen father for six months welcomes plans to scrap care home restrictions

Stuart Booth, from Horsham, said the easing of restrictions will help improve the day-to-day quality of his father’s life, and “probably outweighs the risk for him individually now”.

The father-of-three last saw his own father Stan - who has a long-term brain condition and is deaf and almost totally blind – in September.

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From Monday, those living in care homes will be able to have unlimited visits from family and friends, while self-isolation periods will also be cut, the government has announced.

“I’ve not been able to see him or have anything approaching a conversation with him in a very, very long time,” he said.

“And, when I have done, for the last two years it’s been half an hour in the vestibule of a building.

Stuart Booth, from Horsham, on a visit to see his father Stan in a care home

“If the restrictions really do go and we’re able to see him for a decent amount of time inside the home, that makes a world of a difference because it’s almost as good as he can have it with his condition.”

Stuart was unable to visit for his father’s birthday in November after catching Covid, and was stopped from visiting at Christmas by an outbreak at the care home, which is three hours’ drive away.

“To be honest, it would be nice just to give him a hug,” he added.

Jenny Morrison, co-founder of the campaign group Rights for Residents, said the move is a “huge step forward” in restoring residents’ human rights.

“Those care homes that acknowledge the importance of family contact and support will also welcome this announcement as the biggest step yet in the return to normal life,” she said.

“However, we remain fearful for the residents of those care homes who have consistently ignored previous government guidance that clearly instructed them to relax their visiting policies.

“Some will no doubt continue to enforce prison-style visiting while facing no penalties whatsoever for denying those in their care the fundamental right to a family life.”

Stan Booth in a care home

Health Secretary Sajid Javid acknowledged care homes have “a lot of discretion” over the rules they set, urging providers to do “everything they can” to allow visits.

He said: “If a care home needs to act differently because of an outbreak, then that is understandable as long as they are doing everything they can to allow the maximum number of visitors.”

Julia Jones, co-founder of the charity John’s Campaign, said most people “will not be dancing in the streets” while restrictions remain if there are more Covid cases in a care home.

“We have normalised a situation where the people who need love, activity, and quality of life the most will still receive the least,” she said.

“Bearing in mind that many of the older people living in care homes may be approaching the end of their lives, then of course we are glad that more of them will be able to have time with their grandchildren.”