Colchester care home sees almost half of residents die from Covid
Silversprings Care Home, which has a maximum capacity of 64 beds, registered 29 Covid-related deaths in 2021
The operator that runs a care home in Colchester which saw around half of its residents die from Covid-19 over the past year says staff “have worked tirelessly to follow stringent infection control measures”.
Silversprings Care Home, which has a maximum capacity of 64 beds, registered 29 Covid-related deaths in 2021. A total of 11 deaths were in the first quarter of 2020/2021 and another 16 in the last quarter of that period.
The home – run by Care UK – was one of many up and down the country which has had its Covid-related deaths published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The data shows the number of death notifications relating to Covid-19 the CQC has received from every care home location in England over the course of the pandemic, as well as how many death notifications received in a local authority area.
A spokesperson for Care UK said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with everyone who has been affected by the pandemic.
“It is important to caveat any figure with the fact that in the early stages of the pandemic we registered all losses of residents with even the mildest symptoms as possible Covid-19 deaths.
“The criteria for how to identify a Covid-19 related death before testing was widely available will vary between care home operators and it is possible that we are not comparing like with like.
“Teams in all our homes have worked tirelessly to follow stringent infection control measures and to ensure residents are supported with kind and high-quality care. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and hard work.”
More than 1,300 people died in care homes across Essex in the 20/21 period.
Silvanna Court in Wickford – which has 83 beds – registered 28 deaths over the year.
Loganberry Lodge in Colchester – which has 138 beds – registered 26 deaths and Woodbury Court in Laindon – which has 93 beds – registered 24 deaths.
Hatfield Peverel Lodge – which has 68 beds – registered 22 deaths and Lawns Care home in Chelmsford – which has 52 beds – registered 20 deaths.
Responding to the data – which is between April 10, 2020 and March 31, 2021 – Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “Every life lost to Covid-19 is a tragedy and it is heartbreaking for families who lost loved ones who were living in care homes and unable to be as close to them in their final moments, as we would all wish, due to restrictions.
“This data is a solemn reminder of the number of deaths experienced in care homes across the country involving coronavirus.
“It is crucial to understand that these numbers alone do not in themselves indicate a care home’s quality, particularly given the potential influence of other factors such as community transmission.
“It is also important that care providers and their employees continue to receive all support necessary in what is still a volatile and difficult period.
“We must also reflect on the incredible dedication and commitment of our social care workforce, many of whom put themselves at risk, experiencing tragedy and loss of their own.
“It is vital that this data and everything else we have learnt during the pandemic is used to improve our response and understanding about how best to support people’s safety and wellbeing, as we look to build back better.”