A Labour frontbencher has described her heartbreak at not being able to visit her elderly dad as she called for better mental health support for care home residents and staff.
Rosena Allin-Khan expressed fears her 75-year-old father, who has dementia, would think the family had simply stopped visiting him.
The Tooting MP’s dad can no longer talk, making it difficult for carers to communicate with him. In a joint call with Unison, she raised concerns over the lack of mental health support for care home residents and called for help for people unable to see loved ones at Christmas.
Around 40% of older residents were believed to be affected by depression before the pandemic ripped through care homes. But data on how many got support does not