104-year-old great gran fights tears as she begs to see her kids from care home

Footage of a 104-year-old care home resident has gone viral this morning as she begs to see her family again.

Mary Fowler has now barely seen her children for seven months due to the strict coronavirus rules that have been implemented across care homes. 

The Scottish pensioner said: “I’m very well looked after here. I want my family though.

“This is my right, please help. It’s cutting me to bits. I must see my kids. Time is getting on for me.”

She added: “I must see my children and make things like they used to be. Please help me, help me. Please, please help.”

Since the pandemic hit in March, the pensioner has only seen her family through brief window visits.

Cathie Russel from the Care Home Relatives Scotland campaign tweeted the video adding: “Mary is desperate to see her great-grandchildren – this simply cannot neva humane way to treat our older people.”

People have replied to the video saying ‘utterly heartbreaking to watch’.

Another said: “This breaks my heart. It is so desperately sad. Close family must be treated as key worker status to allow care home residents such as lovely Mary to spend such valuable time in their company. No one should face being without their families in their final days.”

In Scotland, indoor visits to care homes were extended from 30 minutes to four hours, however, the home has to be confident they can implement the new rules safely.  

Nicola Sturgeon addressed the video at a coronavirus briefing stating: “To Mary, I’m sorry for the position you’re in and the position your family’s in.

“That’s replicated many, many, many times over across the country. But we have to keep people in care homes as safe as possible.”

The rules in Scotland do differ from England.

As Greater Manchester has now moved to tier 3, the guidance states: “You should not visit a care home except in exceptional circumstances, for example, to visit an individual who is at the end of their life.”