Covid-safe pods installed at Yorkshire care homes

Glass pods have been installed in the grounds of two care homes in Sheffield, to allow residents to see their loved ones safely face-to-face.

The £20,000 rooms are fitted with sofas and speaker systems, allowing families to sit and talk comfortably without the risk of passing on Covid-19.

The pods are at two homes in Sheffield, Northfield and Westbourne House, with more planned around Yorkshire.

Care home director Nicola Richards said it was "wonderful" to see.

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Ms Richards, director of Palms Row Health Care which runs the Sheffield homes, said: "This year has been extremely difficult for all of us but we are conscious of the effects of our elderly not seeing their loved ones.

"We sadly lost residents during the first peak of this pandemic and we know we're working with a particularly vulnerable group of people so visits inside the home are not possible.

"As we feel Covid-19 is not going away anytime soon we made the decision to invest in a long term solution for safe visiting.

Kirklees Council has also bought pods to be installed at Claremont House in Heckmondwike and Castle Grange in Newsome.

Councillor Musarrat Khan said: "We recognise the mental health impact of the coronavirus lockdown and how it has been particularly difficult for our elderly residents in care homes.

"Face-to-face contact was halted to prevent the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable residents from becoming ill.

"These pods will enable residents to see their loved ones again in a safe manner which will be a huge boost to their mental wellbeing".

Palms Row Health Care, which runs Northfield and Westbourne House in Sheffield, said their pods were paid for with money from local government set aside for infection prevention and control.

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