OUR STORY
Rights for Residents was founded by Jenny Morrison and Diane Mayhew in response to the traumatic experience of being forcibly separated from our own mum during the pandemic.
Refusing to accept the situation we repeatedly told our story in the media and connected with thousands of other families affected by this issue via social media. We found they had been experiencing the same feelings of guilt, powerlessness and despair that we had . We quickly launched a Rights for Residents Facebook campaign group, Twitter account, petition and website and now have thousands of supporters across the UK.
How Rights for Residents Began
When Covid struck the UK in March 2020, Jenny’s mum Jean (Morrison) was living in a care home where she’d been happy and settled for four years.
During a window visit in August 2020, Jean was sitting at the other side of the glass alone, in her wheelchair when myself and Diane arrived. The window was closed and so it was impossible to communicate with her. It took a while for mum to recognise us and as a result she was very confused and visibly upset. Once it registered who we were, she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably with her head in her hands as we remained trapped on the outside, unable to comfort her or ease her distress.
We decided then and there, to start fighting to change this inhumane situation and our desperation to be with her was the spark that ignited the Rights for Residents Campaign.
Sadly, Jenny’s mum Jean passed away in August 2021 but we continue to campaign in her name.
Jean’s Story
Jenny’s mum Jean lived in a care home for four and a half years. Before the pandemic, she was happy and settled, although she had Alzheimer’s Dementia and was often anxious and confused. After a major fall at home when she broke her hip, shoulder and knee, she was hospitalised and needed 24 hour care. We felt tremendous guilt at placing her into a home but had no option. We were no longer able to meet her care needs at home. As we had our own business we managed to organise our working hours in order to spend two to three days at the home to continue caring for her. My sisters filled in the other days and so she very rarely spent time alone.
Mum was well looked after but there was very little in the way of stimulating activity. We worked with the Manager and other relatives to introduce a regular programme of activities that we organised between us. We raised funds to pay for entertainers, animal therapy, social events, parties, and a regular music and movement instructor. It made a huge difference to the residents and promoted a sense of community within the home. Visiting became so much more enjoyable for everyone.
When lock down came, the residents were not only cut off from their families – they were also denied the security that being part of this community gave them. They became doubly isolated as they were confined to their own small rooms for months on end.
Mum was unable to follow the TV or radio, or read a book or magazine and so her days spent looking at the same four walls must have been torturous and lonely. The toll of the separation on our own mental health was beyond words, as we felt as though we were grieving for someone that was still alive. We tried to Skype mum, when visits were banned but she was confused and bewildered by the technology. It just added to the distress. As a result we were forced to endure visits through a closed window.
How the touch paper was lit!
One harrowing window visit changed everything. Mum was sitting at the window alone, in her wheelchair when we arrived. The window was closed and so it was difficult to communicate. When she finally recognised us she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably with her head in her hands. We couldn’t comfort her in any way and she was heartbroken and alone.
She stuttered the words “I’ll never smile again … it’s been too long”. We were devastated, as mum’s nickname in the home was “Smiler”! We were forced to phone into the home to ask one of the carers to comfort mum, while we watched from the other side of the glass, powerless to help. Mum had no way of comprehending why this was happening. Her mental health was deteriorating rapidly. Without the emotional support of a family member she also lost the power of speech. When driving home that day we felt compelled to do something to change the situation for mum and other residents who were wasting away in a pandemic of loneliness.
We were convinced that every resident should have the right to designate at least one family member as an essential care supporter, an extension of the care team, that provides in person support vital to mental health and well being.
We contacted BBC Radio Merseyside and told them of our plight and they featured our story the very next day. Since then our campaign has featured extensively on national radio, TV and in newspapers. We set up a Facebook Campaign Group as a way of galvanising others affected by the issue into an effective lobbying force. The Daily Mail adopted our campaign issue as their Christmas campaign in November 2020. We then launched a national petition and so Rights for Residents was born. We were soon joined by Kate Meacock who launched the Rights for Residents Campaign on Twitter.
Although our own mum Jean, passed away in August 2021, like so many other families who’ve lost a loved one after months of separation, we continue to campaign for residents to have the legal right to receive essential visits in any situation.
If you want to follow the work of Rights For Residents you can sign up here for campaign updates and newsletters.
