Half of Scotland's care homes have suspected COVID-19 cases

Almost half of private care homes for the elderly in Scotland have suspected cases of coronavirus, many reports claim.

According to Scottish Care, a trading body, almost 30 per cent of the staff allocated for caring for the elderly is now absent.

Most care homes have no equipment and the number of deaths continue to rise.

There were many reports that claimed that the elderly have been “abandoned” by the government, and that their deaths are not being accurately reported.

The BBC reported that a “postcode lottery” is going on whereby random and limited localities are receiving care for the elderly.

Scotland currently has 36,000 care home beds, and these are mostly within the ambit of Scottish Care. SC chief Donald Macaskill told BBC that they were facing an "unprecedented challenge on every front".

So far many elderly people have died in care homes in Dumbarton, North Lanarkshire and Tranent.

According to information gathered by Scottish Care, almost half of all care homes have at least one suspected case of COVID-19.

"80% of people in care homes are there for later stage of life care. It is a place where there are, sadly, frequents deaths and we have seen that older people generally are more vulnerable to the virus”, Macaskill said.

Many researches across the globe have reiterated the need of giving special care to the elderly, as they are the most vulnerable demographic. As peaks in many countries have shown, old folks, especially those with underlying conditions of the heart and kidney are not likely to survive the infection.

A statement by the European Union chief has rung in similar sentiments, but tiptoeing on precautionary measures.

Ursula von der Leyen recently said that elderly people may have to be kept isolated for the entire year for effective protection.

“Without a vaccine, we have to limit as much as possible contact with the elderly,” she said to a Germany daily Bild.

“I know it’s difficult and that isolation is a burden, but it is a question of life or death, we have to remain disciplined and patient”, Leyen added.

“Children and young people will enjoy more freedom of movement earlier than elderly people and those with pre-existing medical conditions,” she said.