CARE workers at a home in Worsbrough Common are hoping for to see a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ in the battle against coronavirus.

Carers at Shaftsbury House, on Mount Vernon Road, have been ‘scared’ to go to work in fear of passing the virus to residents.

Roger Stocks, the manager, said: “I think it’s important to highlight the difference between social and health care that I think is being overlooked.

“In social care, the staff are supporting people that they may have known for years and are personally invested in.

“It’s then so crucial that we do our utmost to keep our residents safe during this unprecedented time.

“Personally, I’ve worked in social care for 40 years so I’ve worked during bird flu and swine flu but nothing will ever compare to this.”

Roger believes the support care workers have received has helped to boost morale of his staff.

“Thankfully, there has been more public attention on care workers and the work we’re doing which has been amazing to see and a long time coming,” he added.

“Like all other care homes across the borough, we’re struggling to get personal protective equipment, which of course is a main concern of ours.

“Our staff have been taking on extremely long hours to reassure our residents as a few of them have found it difficult to understand what’s happening.”

Roger said that staff are increasingly concerned to come into work, but commends them for their work.

“We’re making major sacrifices everyday by coming into work, but we do it because we care about our residents and their safety.

“We’ve got stringent risk assessments for every person that comes into our home, but it’s been difficult as legislation and guidance is changing day-by-day.

“I think two of the main problems facing care workers at the moment is PPE and a lack of guidance and security.

“It’s hard to reassure our residents when everything is uncertain and there is not a currently a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Tara Wilkinson, a care worker at Shaftsbury House, added: “We’ve been doing our best to keep morale high. Laughter is the best way to get through the day and having trust with one another.

“At times, it’s been completely overwhelming and challenging, but both staff and the residents are like a family and that’s what gets us through.

“We want to thank everyone for their support and their kind messages at this time. It’s so important that we all keep each other safe.”