A shocking report has revealed that life expectancy in Scotland’s care homes has been slashed by six months because of the pandemic, with residents now expected to live an average of just two years.
The study by top academics also warned about the impact of visiting restrictions on care home residents’ quality of life.
The findings have prompted more urgent calls for Anne’s Law human rights legislation to be fast-tracked by the Government.
The report – carried out by academics at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities as well as Public Health Scotland officials – is the first time deaths in care homes have been measured in years of life.
It found men in care homes now have average life expectancy of less than two years and women just over two years.
More than 3000 people died in care homes from Covid and thousands passed away after little contact with family or friends.
George Hillhouse’s mum Helen Smith, 74, passed away from suspected Covid in a home in Drumchapel, Glasgow, at the start of the pandemic in April 2020.
Ex-nurse George said: “I have no doubt that Covid robbed us of her, even though I still believe she was killed by a chest infection wrongly put down as Covid.
“There is little doubt in my mind however that, without Covid, she would still be here.
“I’m confident she would have lived another four or five years in normal times with visits and normal levels of care.”
The study, published in the journal Age And Ageing, calculated the years of life lost (YLL) because of Covid for those who died from it.
It said: “This analysis provides the first population-level data reporting care home life expectancy and evaluating the impact of Covid-19 on those living in care homes in terms of YLL… and we make several important observations.
“Life expectancy in care home residents during the pandemic fell by almost six months.
“The estimated YLL due to Covid-19 is substantial for care home residents… corresponding to a total of 3600 YLL in women and 2000 YLL in men.
“Although care home residents are only around five per cent of the population aged 70 years and older, care home resident YLL represents around a quarter of all YLL among those in that age group who died with Covid-19.
"Even if vaccines rapidly bring the pandemic to an end, the observed two-year life expectancy means that care home residents will have had severely restricted access to family and friends for around half of their remaining lives.
“Balancing reducing Covid mortality risk by restricting visiting and activity outside the care home with harm from social isolation has been one of the most difficult policy decisions during the pandemic.
“While Covid-19 has proved a measurable outcome, the mental health impacts and wellbeing of residents have been more difficult to quantify objectively.”
Last month the Scottish Government’s Open With Care report said some care homes were still not allowing proper visits.
Cathie Russell, of Care Home Relatives Scotland, said: “The figures in this new report are shocking.
“We believe isolation has been as big a cause as Covid for deaths.
“Yet despite guidance that would allow visiting to be near normal now, there are still care homes limiting relatives to 30 minutes or an hour once a week – if they’re lucky enough to be one of the two ‘designated’ visitors.
"Care homes not pulling out all the stops to maximise family contact have, quite frankly, lost their moral compass.”
Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, said: “I think what is critical is the finding that ‘life expectancy in care home residents during the pandemic fell by almost six months’.
“We also need to consider the extent to which prioritising the risk of the virus, which was understandable and laudable in its own terms, disproportionately affected the health of residents.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has said Anne’s Law – named after 63-year-old dementia sufferer and ex-carer Anne Duke – is a priority.
The Sunday Mail has campaigned tirelessly for the legislation that would give residents unlimited access to at least one named person regardless of lockdown restrictions.
Meanwhile, Scotland has recorded seven deaths of coronavirus patients and 2190 cases in the past 24 hours.
A total of 435 people were in hospital with Covid-19, with 42 in intensive care. So far, 3,920,145 people have had their first vaccination and 2,861,110 have had a second.
