# Care homes became like ‘zoos’ during the pandemic and left residents ‘wishing they had died’ before Covid

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/care-homes-became-like-zoos-during-the-pandemic-and-left-residents-wishing-they-had-died-before-covid/
- Published: 2026-11-03T19:36:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T20:18:09+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16263075/Care-homes-like-zoos-pandemic-left-residents-wishing-died-Covid.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Scottish care home residents endured prolonged separation from family.
- Some residents became depressed and wished they had died before Covid.
- Inquiry testimony describes the effects of restricted visits and communication.

## Summary

The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry heard that pandemic restrictions left some care home residents isolated from family and confused about why visits had stopped. Families and care workers described residents’ mental health deteriorating, with some expressing a wish to have died before Covid; the testimony highlights the human cost of measures intended to limit infection.

The inquiry’s latest “Let’s Be Heard” report draws on thousands of Scots’ accounts. One South Lanarkshire woman said she could not visit her mother for seven months, while a deaf 100-year-old reportedly spent weeks unable to communicate through masks or by phone. Workers also described window visits, a video call arranged against managers’ wishes for a dying resident, and residents who were not told about the pandemic under care home policies.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.