'We feel like we did the right thing': Inside a Northampton care home with no coronavirus cases throughout pandemic

"It's very worrying but we will continue to do what we cane and see what happens."
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During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Holly House Residential Home owner Madhu Menon stood firm as she came under fire from hospital bosses.

The Milton Malsor care home boss was refusing to accept hospital patients who had not tested negative for Covid-19 because of the potential risk to her residents.

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They had already gone into 'lockdown' in the first week of March and forced all staff, doctors and nurses to wear PPE before it became accepted practice.

Holly House Residential Home residents celebrate VE DayHolly House Residential Home residents celebrate VE Day
Holly House Residential Home residents celebrate VE Day

Mrs Menon believes her team's forward-thinking, diligence and strict infection control measures is the reason they are yet to have a single coronavirus case, let alone a death.

"We feel like we did the right thing because protecting our residents and our staff is very important," she said.

Mrs Menon, who runs Holly House with her husband Parvin, decided to stop all family visits and bring in measures to stop the spread of infection on March 6.

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They started doing video calls between residents and their families to break up the isolation.

Holly House Residential Home residents have kept busy by doing crafts togetherHolly House Residential Home residents have kept busy by doing crafts together
Holly House Residential Home residents have kept busy by doing crafts together

Mrs Menon said some were confused about how their relatives had 'got into that box' but they soon got used to it.

Doctors only came in once a week or for emergencies while all staff were made to wear gloves, masks and gowns when in the care home, despite some protestations from agency workers about it being different elsewhere.

Employees were also discouraged from using public transport with taxis arranged if they did not have their own car or bicycle.

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"We are lucky it has worked for us and we managed to keep our residents safe," Mrs Menon said.

Holly House Residential Home in Green Street, Milton MalsorHolly House Residential Home in Green Street, Milton Malsor
Holly House Residential Home in Green Street, Milton Malsor

As hospitals across the country wanted to make room for potential coronavirus patients, they moved non-Covid patients into empty care home beds.

But Mrs Menon refused to accept any as they were either not being tested for coronavirus or the results had not come back yet.

"We were put under a lot of pressure by the hospital as we lost two patients to other conditions so they knew we had two rooms available," she said.

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"So they put a lot of pressure on us to take patients who had been in the hospital but we said 'no' and were told we weren't being supportive.

"But that's where the whole problem with care home deaths started as they were sending patients from hospital without tests and that put residents in care homes at risk and they lost their lives."

Office for National Statistics data shows 127 deaths related to coronavirus in Northamptonshire's care homes up to June 19, taking the total number of known Covid-19 deaths in the county to 620.

Nationally 12,075 people have died of Covid-19 in care homes - a study by major healthcare business consultancy LaingBuisson warns that figure could reach 34,000, just over half the total death toll.

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Mrs Menon is angry with the Government for not taking action sooner to stop the virus and criticised the initial lack of guidance for care homes and policy to move hospital patients into the community.

"I think that's where the Government failed elderly people by not having the right policy," she said.

"But I also feel for every care home that has experienced deaths and my heart goes out to them."

Holly House's policies seem to have worked though and they have received 'heart-warming' compliments from relatives and doctors alike.

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Mrs Menon said her staff have been 'amazing' by sticking to the rules and not taking advantage of the virus to take time off work by saying they were sick.

The owner herself has been staying at the care home for most of the week despite living in northwest London.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have this responsibly on my shoulders to save my residents now it's happened and it's for real, it's our duty and a big responsibility to protect them and do our best and hope for the best and that's what we did," she said.

"We hope and pray we don't get this virus in our home, it's not over yet and in some countries it has returned so it's very worrying but we will continue to do what we cane and see what happens."