Care home workers have been sleeping in tents in a bid to protect their residents, it has been revealed.
Staff at Pilgrim Wood care home in Surrey, have explained they are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect their elderly and vulnerable residents from contracting coronavirus, even camping out in the garden.
Twelve members of staff have pledged to camp outside for the next month in a bid to stay completely isolated from society.
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They also plan to eat, brush their teeth and shower in the home, so not to come into contact with anyone else from the outside world.
Care homes have been at the forefront of the pandemic, with thousands of residents tragically passing away from the virus across Britain.
"We've been overwhelmed by how supportive and positive the staff have been," said Keshel Lakhani, owner of the Pilgrim Wood care home.
"It's a massive personal sacrifice they are all making for this period. Some are spending weeks away from their families, we are so grateful to them."
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And residents' families have been totally overwhelmed by the gesture, too, with Keshel adding: "The reaction from the relatives of our residents has been wonderful.
"They've all been getting in touch to pass on their appreciation and thanks.
"We've received some really touching messages, which has meant a lot to the staff."
Despite the high number of coronavirus cases in Care homes across the UK, there have been no signs of the virus at Pilgrim Wood - and staff are determined to keep it this way.
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"We've been working very hard to try and keep any signs of coronavirus out of the home," Keshel said.
"Everyone is getting more and more worried about the impact it could have if it did manage to get in.
"The only real thing we could do more to safeguard everyone was to try and move in and cut down the traffic in and out of the home every day.
"It's a very scary scene out there and we are trying to do everything we can to keep it out."
Manager Sharon Mitchell came up with the idea and staff were quick to support the plan. The home has a large garden, and a number of tents have kindly been donated from a resident's family.
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"We've fortunate to have a large garden, so using tents was an obvious choice," said Keshel.
"We're trying to do as much as we can to turn it into a positive team-building experience."
Staff moved into the tents on Monday, and are expecting to live there for at least a month, sleeping on air mattresses and camp beds.
"We're hopeful that by the end of the four weeks we'll be out the other side of it," Keshel said.
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"Across the UK, we've recently seen us pass the peak in hospitals. And we are hoping that will soon be reflected in care homes too."
This is such an incredible and touching gesture.
Featured Image Credit: Triangle News
Topics: Life News, News, Coronavirus