Dr. Siobhán Kennelly:

There has been a very severe impact across the board. A number of bereavement supports and programmes have been put in place by the Irish Hospice Foundation and others to help with some of the trauma related directly to the deaths and outbreaks as they have been happening. There will be a significant need, as highlighted in the expert panel report, for bereavement supports for many of the staff, residents and their families who have been impacted directly by outbreaks. Second, there has been the mental health impact and a physical health impact of a significantly prolonged period of isolation. If residents are isolated for a two-week period during an outbreak, they can become quite deconditioned. Many of them lose weight. We have quantified that with regard to the impact it has on mood, appetite and a significant number of physical and mental health parameters. We recognise that residents in these facilities are going to need a significant level of rehabilitation and support. Their families are going to need support and staff will clearly need a lot of support. We have provided a lot of education and training on post-Covid rehabilitation with staff across the sectors, but clearly they need time and resources to be able to provide that.