Halesowen care home hit by coronavirus

Lapal House has 17 staff off with symptoms of the coronavirus - 18 staff have been tested and 13 have returned positive results.

All five residents who are positive for COVID-19 at the care home in Lapal Lane South, the oldest of whom is 100, are isolated in their rooms with staff caring for them wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Owner Tony Billingham said the home closed to visitors around six weeks ago after a resident who went to hospital for an operation sadly died and had tested positive for coronavirus.

He said he does not believe the resident had coronavirus before they went into hospital.

The news comes as data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed there have been 20 deaths linked to COVID-19 in care homes in the Dudley borough and 10 in care homes in Sandwell since the start of the outbreak in the UK.

Mr Billingham, aged 80, (pictured above) said: “We locked our doors around six weeks ago and have only had staff, paramedics and district nurses coming in and out.

“We couldn’t get tests - we wanted them for a while but there was a go slow in setting them up and we have only been able to get them from last week and have had to go to Edgbaston Cricket Club for them.

“It’s been quite a difficult time for us - one of our patients who tested positive had his 100th birthday two weeks ago - he has the virus but they won’t take him into hospital.

“His daughter is with him.

“He’s very poorly.

“We have had ex-staff coming back in to help - one lady left and became a hairdresser so she can’t work now and has come back to help, my secretary has been working as a care assistant.

“We have some absolutely great loyal staff - some have been here for 30 years - they have been superb - I can’t thank them enough.

“The residents are getting the best of care.”

Mr Billingham, who is on the National Care Association’s board of directors, said the home has had difficulty getting hold of PPE, but staff are fully equipped now.

He said: “The PPE has been a nightmare - you can get it, but when you run out the suppliers are running out as well.

“We are compiling a database of suppliers so we can source all firms supplying PPE.”

It was given a boost when West Bromwich firm Bee Swift donated 200 masks at a time when the home was having difficulty sourcing them (staff are pictured below with the donation).

Perryfields High School in Oldbury donated visors it had made as well as chocolates for hard-working staff.

The home has 41 staff all of whom are part time.

It has 37 residents, none of whom are local authority funded.

Mr Billingham also owns Grange Hill House care home in Hunnington and Beechcroft Residential Home in Oldbury, which he said are both free of coronavirus.