Harrogate Care Home Residents’ Fury Over Care Home Covid ‘Imprisonment’ Guidelines

Residents living in a Harrogate care home have reacted with fury to new Government guidelines which say they must isolate for two weeks for simply stepping out of their front door.

The ‘arrangements for visiting out of the care home/visits out of care homes’ states that residents should not leave care homes, apart from going to medical appointments or visits in exceptional circumstances, such as visits to relatives at the end of life.

It goes on to say that if they do go out of the care home, they should isolate for 14 days on their return, effectively making them prisoners in their own home.

Customers at Disability Action Yorkshire’s residential care home on Harrogate’s Claro Road, who have had both their covid vaccinations, have said they will defy the order citing it as a clear breach of their human rights.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Jackie Snape, has written to the town’s MP, Andrew Jones, warning him that he will be on the receiving end of a barrage angry emails from furious residents.

Mrs Snape said: “For the people that live at 34 Claro Road this is devastating.  They are young people who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else.

“They are seeing pictures of groups enjoying a beer outside the pub and they are being told they can’t even go for a walk around the block.

“They have all had both vaccinations, have individual risk assessments and know the importance of hands, face, space (and fresh air!)

“They, and we, feel this is a breach of their human rights. They have had an awful year. Not only have they been locked down, they have been locked down in an environment with people they have not chosen to live with and their main interactions each day is with staff wearing masks.

“As the rest of society is easing out of lockdown and enjoying fewer restrictions, our care home residents are having even more imposed on them.”

Mrs Snape has now invited Mr Jones to visit the charity’s Claro Road home so he can talk to some of the people that live there.

“Mr Jones has always been a good friend to the charity, and I hope he sees the merit in coming to meet our customers, and find out first-hand how this guidance is a form of house arrest.”