Residents greet their families at Downham Grange “drive by” event
The 10th Clap for Carers was the first opportunity for Downham Grange residents to see their families for three months. The Kingsley Healthcare run home in Clackclose Road, Downham Market, issued a “drive-by” invitation to relatives to celebrate the positive news they were at last free of the coronavirus. Six residents sadly passed away from Covid-19 but the home was given the all-clear on May 22 when all coronavirus tests on residents and staff came back negative.
More than 30 relatives turned up for what has been billed as the final Clap for Carers at 8pm on Thursday (May 29) and stepped out of their vehicles to greet their loved ones at an appropriate social distance; they were joined by Downham Market Mayor Becky Hayes. She was delighted to meet Downham Grange resident Margaret Walshe who was the town’s first lady mayor. Tim Fenton, whose mother Pat is a resident, said: “It was very nice to see mum after 12 long weeks.
We have made numerous video calls but it’s not the same as seeing her.” Downham Grange this week received a positive review from the Care Quality Commission on how it had handled the virus outbreak. Kingsley Healthcare’s director of compliance, Eugene Nyamande, said: “The final Clap for Carers was a fitting tribute to the staff at the home who have worked so hard to keep residents safe. “We sadly lost six of our residents to Covid 19 but it is testament to the tremendous teamwork of staff that we are now free of the virus.”
He said staff had meticulously followed government guidelines for combatting the coronavirus. “The key things have been following robust infection control procedures and supporting staff to combat the virus through good team working,” he said.
