Recommendation 2

Close family members who provide care can be their relatives’ most important care givers. They provide the emotional and physical support that a paid carer could never hope to replicate. The Government’s guidance over the last year has not adequately acknowledged the importance of families to residents’ wellbeing. It was wrong to deny essential care givers the right to see their relatives, especially when they could have played a crucial role in supporting the over-stretched care home staff during the crisis. Care home providers say they understand the importance of families to residents’ care and wellbeing; they must show this in practice.