Alzheimer's Society responds to latest ONS figures on Covid-19 deaths in care homes
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that a third of all deaths (35.95%) in care homes this week were due to Covid. That’s the fourth highest week since the pandemic began, and the highest was only 39% and 17.5% of all Covid deaths for this week took place in Care homes.
Fiona Carragher, Director of Research & Influencing, Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“The latest ONS figures reveal care homes are still bearing the brunt of this ongoing pandemic, with 17% of all UK deaths due to coronavirus this week occurring in care homes.
“70% of people in care homes have dementia, so it’s absolutely devastating for us to see that more than a third of deaths in care homes last week were due to Covid, which is worryingly the highest rate it has been since last May.
“It is crucial that all residents receive vaccination as a matter of urgency priority to prevent further tragedy for thousands of families across the UK. The Government have made care home residents and staff the number one priority for vaccinations, but it’s unclear how this is progressing. We need absolute transparency and daily reports on the vaccine roll out for priority bands to ensure that nobody falls through the cracks, and the assurance that care home staff will also be prioritised so they can safely care for the vulnerable people in their charge.”
