Coronavirus Scandal: Nursing Homes Suffer More Than a Quarter Deaths of Residents

Home Farm, a nursing home located on the Isle of Skye on the western coast of Scotland, is one of the most exposed establishments to the coronavirus pandemic. The 40-bed nursing home houses people with dementia and is privately-owned. More than 25% of its residents have been revealed to be infected with COVID-19.

According to the New York Times, all but seven of the home's residents have already been exposed to the coronavirus.

Failure to protect

The pandemic has battered nursing homes across Europe and the United States. Still, the British homes'homes' death tolls, amounting to 14,000 from official figures, paint a dastard scandal for the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The official's move to prioritize protecting the health care system backfired, which resulted in the transfer of infected patients from hospitals to nursing homes. Coronavirus tests were not given to residents and staff members, while establishments suffered a severe lack of personal protective equipment.

The chief executive of Scottish Care, Dr Donald Macaskill said they were witness to a disastrous circumstance in Spain and Italy and have boldly decided to focus on maintaining and securing the National Health Service (NHS). "The NHS was prioritized at the expense of social care," he added.

Home Farm was previously observed to have staffing issues five months before the coronavirus even hit, according to The Press and Journal.

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The global pandemic has taken the lives of ten residents of the nursing home, and recently, tests confirmed that 30 residents and 29 staff members are positive for the coronavirus.

Government officials have criticized the apparent "lack of emergency planning" that the Scottish Government and other organizations have had for the homes.

A potential 'scandal' of governance

In November of last year, a verdict on staffing levels was delivered. A Care Inspectorate's report a few months later revealed that the problems persisted. It showed that there was a lack in how holidays and breaks are covered and that staff deployment resulted in "the level and quality of care and support people received was not always adequate."

Although additional personnel were hired between November and January, some residents still had to wait for extended periods to be aided and that "some people were not receiving the care and support they needed."

The events have led the Scottish health secretary to announce that the entire nursing home system should be evaluated and reviewed by the responsible body, namely the Scottish government.

An independent commission is investigating the potential breach of human rights in nursing homes in England.

Prime Minister Johnson is taking the brunt of the issue as he faces a weekly barrage over the alleged lack of priority over nursing homes which include claims that he lied about how the government downplayed the possibilities of the infection.

A member of the local council from Skye, John Gordon said that the residents of the nursing homes do not have the same voice as him. Gordon'sGordon's father, 83 years old, is one of those who has lost his life amid the pandemic. "The government has failed our old people," he added.