Fife care home resident, 104, asks for visiting restrictions to be eased

A 104-year-old Fife care home resident has made a plea for visiting rules to be eased, saying the lack of visitors has been like living in a "prison".

Mary Fowler, who stays in Balfarg Care Home in Glenrothes, recorded a video message asking to be able to spend more time with her loved ones. 

She asked people to get involved with a campaign to allow relatives to be able to spend more time when visiting residents in care homes in Scotland.

Cathie Russell, organiser of the Care Homes Relatives Scotland campaign group, shared the message online to social media site Facebook. 

Mary said: "I just want to say, it’s just been like a prison in here. We’re shut down, we can’t see our family and I think when you’re my age, you deserve to see your family.

"It’s all you want, is the happy faces roundabout you. Please try and help and do all you can. There must be loads of others like me, wanting to see their bairns at the end of their life.

"I’ve got good carers and staff is really good here, the food is good – everything, but this is what you want, your bairns roundabout you when you’re old."

 

Current Scottish Government guidelines state three visitors from two households are allowed to meet residents for 30 minutes outdoors. 

Indoor visits are allowed under restricted circumstances for instance if the home does weekly coronavirus testing of their staff. 

Her comments come as Nicola Sturgeon announced routine testing for families vising homes is being considered. 

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman met with representatives from care home relative groups and discussed a range of proposals last Friday. 

Campaigners staged a protest outside Holyrood last week calling for more access.

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