About 1,000 nursing home residents died during the pandemic with the sector accounting for more than 55 per cent of the deaths from the virus. Inspection reports, compiled in the wake of outbreaks in some homes, reveal what the survivors experienced when nursing homes were in full lockdown. At another home, Birr Community Centre, which had a small outbreak, residents looked forward to “window visits but wondered if they would ever be able to ‘hug’ their families again”. One resident talked about the infection prevention and control procedures “she personally completed to stay safe”. The reports show that the residents enjoyed “corridor bingo” to help them feel less isolated during the virus outbreak when they were “cocooned” in their bedrooms.

Source: The Irish Times September 24, 2020 16:18 UTC