The tragic consequences of Covid-19 on care staff and residents at Linden House in Wellington has been laid bare.

The care home lost almost a third of its residents as a direct result of the pandemic and had 80 per cent of its staff self-isolating over the Christmas period.

Linden House owner Sandra Joyce has now spoken of the daily heartbreak, anxiety and exhaustion care staff experienced at the hands of the virus.

She said: “We are now over the worst of the outbreak at Linden House, but the emotional toll Covid-19 has taken on our residents, staff and families is not going to go away quickly.

“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my staff. Those who did not succumb to Covid-19 at the very beginning of the outbreak worked unbelievably hard in horrendous conditions – working gruelling shifts with few breaks to cover staff who tested positive, watching in horror as loved residents died, with barely a break to cry.

“Despite this, not one of them complained to me. In fact, they continually offered to do more. Many of them – when they eventually tested positive themselves – would call me in tears, feeling that they had let down those of us left working.

“It’s lonely out here as a small provider but I feel so blessed to have a job that I adore. It is impossible not to form strong, loving bonds in social care, and I feel honoured that I get to spend time at work with people who start off as complete strangers and within a very short time become part of the family.”

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.