Mother and son reunited at Bexhill care complex

Mary said: “It’s so nice to see him in the flesh, it’s so different to speaking over the telephone. I’m looking forward to further visits, I’ve asked him to book another one and he said he will.”

Alan added: “She was pleased to see me, and I was pleased to see her, it was a real sense of happiness and felt like all was right in the world.

“She was in a really good place physically and mentally, so it made me feel better and made us both feel happy.”

St Peter’s is Covid free with over 90% of residents vaccinated, continues to carry out regular testing, and is accepting new residents.

Residents and care home workers are looking forward to receiving more regular visits now that Government lockdown restrictions have started to ease.

Lisa Turner, Registered Manager of St Peter’s Park Retirement Village said: “I am delighted that we have got to the point of hosting regular visits with less restrictions and are able to welcome new residents.

“The whole team at St Peter’s Park has pulled together with residents and their families after what has been a hard year all round, and we now have the prospect of some brighter days ahead.”

Operators Agincare, one of the country’s largest independent care providers, has welcomed the Government’s announcement to ease visit restrictions.

Agincare Care Homes Chief Operating Officer Tim Buckley said: “It’s exciting to welcome regular indoor visits where residents and family members can spend valuable time together, and I hope that this is just the start of visits becoming easier and easier to accommodate in coming weeks and months

“We know just how treasured visits are by our residents, their loved ones and our care home teams, and we have already been facilitating safe visits wherever possible during the pandemic, even before the latest Government announcement.”

See also: Sussex residents reveal what it is like to live with tje symptoms of Long Covid