Homecare workers have been hailed as the "forgotten heroes" of the Covid-19 crisis, amid health problems worsened by loneliness and social isolation.

Throughout the pandemic domiciliary carers have helped high-risk elderly and ill patients to stay safe in their own homes.

Dr Sahota and Vitality Home Health discuss the challenges facing the homecare sector

In many ways the care they provide – delivering medicines and assisting with washing and dressing customers, often with complex needs – have helped relieve pressure on hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare settings.

But while the plight of colleagues in care homes has been well documented those working behind the scenes say they feel undervalued and forgotten.

The Vitality Home Health team cares for around 80 people in their own homes across Gravesend, Dartford, Sevenoaks and the surrounding villages.

Operations director Debbie Moulton believes homecare workers are the "forgotten heroes" of the pandemic.

"We had terrible stories in care homes. Our colleagues were struggling in care homes but they had the ability to shut the door and say no one can come in," she said.

"Whereas, if you had people living in their own homes we didn't have that.
"Our staff were going into our customer's homes and not knowing who had been in previous to them.

"I do feel the homecare section were a little bit forgotten," she added. "And we are working equally as hard, probably even harder some times."

Now the care manager says the biggest challenge they currently face is the "loneliness aspect".

Debbie, who began her career in the ambulance service, said: "A lot of our customers were very much alone, they had no one to talk to.

"If they were adhering to the guidelines and regulations, our carers were the only person they were seeing."

"It was and still is particularly difficult," she added.

Gravesend GP Manpinder Sahota, who also serves as the medical director for the Vitality Home Health team in Dartford and Gravesham, believes social isolation is continuing to take its toll on customer health, particularly during lockdowns.

"To be honest it's been really hard seeing all the customers' health decline," said Dr Sahota.

"During the first lockdown particularly, because people couldn't access their GPs, I was providing video consultations to a lot of our carers."

He said his time continues to be filled with WhatsApp calls to reassure patients whose operations and procedures have been either delayed or cancelled.

Dr Sahota says the care of dementia patients has been among the most difficult and challenging to manage.

"People who have been suffering from dementia right at the start of lockdown, it might be moderate, but throughout lockdown the dementia has got much, much worse and that has been a real particular issue because people are becoming more and more forgetful.

"Families are frightened. And then you've got the double whammy of the fact the families are frightened of them getting Covid."

Safety continues to be at the forefront with Vitality's homecare workers tested weekly, every Thursday and Friday, before going back into homes.

"We have drummed it into our trainers here," said operations director Debbie.

"We have regular communications with our staff to ensure they are not just adhering to guidance in their working life but also in their private life."

Meanwhile, the team has been fortunate not to have any "major staffing disruptions" but the former care manager added that every week was an anxious wait.

"Over the weekend we get the results through and it is like you are waiting on baited breathed sometimes," she said.

"You don't know, you could end up with five or six members of your staff who are positive and we have to follow the guidance.

"Every week is like being on a knife edge as far as resources for staffing."

But the team has been boosted by the news they too will be vaccinated as part of the ongoing jab rollout.

Beyond the pandemic the homecare operations director hopes their efforts will help shape a greater understanding and recognition of their work.

Debbie said: "Maybe now people will start to see our industry as something that it really is as opposed to the negative slant it has been given over the years.

"Maybe now people will start to see our industry as something that it really is..."

"People want to stay in their homes," she adds. "They don't want to go into residential."

"I think it is really important that we acknowledge that people even with complex needs can stay home; there is no reason why they can't because we can provide specific equipment and care."

Dr Sahota went on to explain he believes there are real benefits not just to families and patients but society as a whole in recognising the need for care earlier.

"The earlier the care is started, right at the beginning, that is massive prevention," he said.

"We can prevent these people from getting ill, we can prevent them from going into hospital.

He added: "If they started a little earlier, long term they would save money and we could be a real service," he added.

"We are a jewel in the crown of the NHS but we could do even greater things."

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