Care home residents reunited with loved ones for first time since lockdown

Jewish residents in care homes have been reunited with loved ones almost a year after the first national lockdown was imposed.

Great-grandmother of 17 Nina Doltis was able to hold her daughter Jacky’s hand, saying the experience was “lovely and overwhelming”.

Jacky said it was a “very emotional” encounter, and that she “greatly missed seeing my Mum”, who is a resident at Jewish Care’s Lady Sarah Cohen House in Friern Barnet.

This comes as coronavirus cases fall and the number of vaccines delivered soars past 20 million, allowing for social care organisations to restart physical visitations. Jewish Care locked down its homes to external visitors on 12 March 2020, before the national lockdown.

Norma Nash, who lives at Jewish Care’s Anita Dorfman House in Sandringham, was reunited with her daughter Amanda Patashnik.

Before visiting the grandmother of three, Amanda said: “When I had my vaccine I cried with relief. I’m so excited see Mum, it’s been a year and we are all so close. The pod visits were amazingly well-organised, but it was sad – it’s not the same speaking through a monitor and a sheet of glass. It’s a blessing to see her.”

Sheila Cohen, who moved into Jewish Care’s Kun Mor & George Kiss Home in November was also visited by her daughter Adrienne Cinna.

During the catch-up, the pair rang Adrienne’s brother Ian who lives in Newcastle, as she said the “visit made an enormous difference to Sheila. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the staff for making Mum feel so welcome and at home there, for acting responsibly and giving us the first opportunity for this visit, I really appreciate it.”

105-year-old Ethel Fedor was also visited by her Ros, and the two played a game cards!

Jewish Care Chief Executive, Daniel Carmel-Brown said: “We are delighted that these visits can begin now and look forward to welcoming many more designated visitors as they reunite with their loved ones in the coming days and weeks.”