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Appeal to Nicola Sturgeon

April 2021

A 104-year-old care home resident has made a video message appeal to Scotland’s First minister telling her “All I want, most of all, is to see my kids. Come on Nicola, you have to do something for us”.

104 year old Mary Fowler. Credit: Care Home Relatives Scotland.

‘Time is short for me’

As pub gardens opened in Scotland, Mary Fowler, who lives in a care home in Fife, made an appeal to Scotland’s leader in a video message posted on social media by campaign group Care Home Relatives Scotland.

Mary Fowler said: “I want to speak on behalf of all the people in care homes – some of them don’t have a voice. But I have one.

“Now, Nicola Sturgeon, I hear you’re opening pubs to make the things better for people outside.

“What about us? One time, we counted. Surely we count now?

“All I want, most of all, is to see my kids, my great grandkids.

“Time is short for me and it must be short for a lot of people too.

“So we are weary waiting. Come on, Nicola. You have to do something for us, “Now that’s all I’ve got to say. Thanks, bye.”

CH resident Mary Fowler, 104, has a new message for @NicolaSturgeon pic.twitter.com/VPsyJ5yAeW— Care Home Relatives Scotland (@ChrScotland) April 25, 2021

From Monday 26 April, Scotland’s hospitality venues such as cafés, pubs and restaurants reopened, along with tourist accommodation. Non-essential retail outlets and close contact services such as beauty salons also reopened as well as indoor attractions and public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries.

The remaining travel restrictions within Scotland have been lifted and travel within the UK is allowed for any purpose.

Scotland moved down from Level 4 lockdown restrictions to Level 3 on 26 April but the country’s care home rules remain the same for levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The Scottish Government says indoor visiting is allowed for levels 1-4 and care home residents are recommended to receive a minimum of two indoors visits a week – one person at a time. ‘Essential visits should be supported at all times’ and garden or window visits are also allowed.

It also advises: ‘Additional visits above the minimum are at the discretion of individual care homes.’

‘Can they have a cup of tea in a café?’

The 104-year-old is a Covid survivor who is all too aware of the little time she has left to spend with her family.

Prior to Scotland’s moving to level 3 restrictions, Care Home Relatives Scotland tweeted : ‘She feels that people like her who live in care homes have been forgotten about.

‘Mary, who has survived Covid, is calling on Nicola Sturgeon to make it clear what’s happening with Care Home Residents tomorrow when Scotland comes out of lockdown – can they have a cup of tea in a cafe or a drink out of doors at the pub?

‘Mary has been living under restrictions for 408 days now. Gov guidance allows for 2 designated visitors pw but in many cases this is restricted to just 30 mins. Trips out are also allowed but again many providers & some public health officials are denying this freedom.’

The video message posted this week is not the first video to be made by Mary Fowler. In September, Mary said in another video message that the pandemic restrictions made her feel like a prisoner.

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