Mr. Jim Breslin:

We absolutely agree with the Deputy. It is important to understand that these are people's homes. They are not places they are visiting but where they live, often for the rest of their lives. The connectedness between the people who live in nursing homes and their families is most important both in terms of what the family gets from it and what the resident receives from it. Good nursing homes understand that and ensure socialising between families and residents and among residents. Unfortunately, that has been interrupted by the virus. All of us are conscious of that and it was an influencing factor on decisions not to implement some of the restrictions prematurely. It is also part of the review of thee restrictions. This week, we have commenced, on a managed and precautionary basis, contact again between families and residents. One could create a sterile healthcare environment in these facilities but that is not where I would want to spend my last days. As such, it speaks to the model of care as well and how those facilities might look and feel in the future. They might well be quite different. In the past, we thought making big living rooms where people could have activities and socialise was the way forward.

We must rethink that now in light of this infection.