A CARER describes the "heartbreaking" moment when dementia patients forget who their family are during the outbreak.

Carer, Kath Stevens, 63, from Sycamore Cottage has spoken out about how challenging it is for dementia patients who "forget their family" and are unaware they are living through a pandemic.

Kath is the second longest serving carer at Sycamore Cottage and has been working there for 15 years.

It's one of the 18 care homes in Basingstoke that is currently "Covid free".

In total, there are 12 carers on hand to look after the residents, including nine carers and three management.

There are 16 registered residents at Sycamore Cottage with different stages of dementia from the age of 84 to 90.

It costs £900 a week for residents to stay at the care home.

Residents have three meals a day, with homemade food and snacks.

She told the Gazette: "Within five minutes, they forget who their family are. It is heartbreaking. Most of them are suffering from late stages of dementia, and one is bed ridden.

"I feel for the families when residents do not recognise who they are.

"Residents recognise us more than family and we try and help to jog their memories. We show them pictures of grandsons and attempt to keep those precious memories alive.

"We are like their surrogate family.

"We take residents down to the back door and they talk to their family through the glass.

"We carry on as if there is no coronavirus and try to make it as normal as possible.

"We try to tell them we are living through a pandemic but they soon forget and do not blink an eyelid. Nothing has changed here.

"Residents would be too anxious if they knew we were living through coronavirus. It is a blessing in disguise.

"I know all of them by name and everything about them."

As dementia patient, Jean, overheard her carer speaking on the phone, she interjected and told the Gazette she is doing a puzzle.

"Jean is one of my favourite ladies. Jean has come to find out where I was. She is like my shadow. We have a bond with residents and treat them like our own.

"We are not posh but have a very loving care home.

"Residents have bath time twice a week and foot washes in the morning.

I always make a sponge cake before I go home. They call me the feeder.

"We get emotional if anything would happen to any of our residents," Kath added.

The 63-year-old carer explained that there have been "no Covid scared" and they take residents' temperatures twice a day and let the doctors know if anyone has a chest infection.

"One lady is dying to meet her husband who is isolating at home at the age of 80. She has not seen her husband for months since the outbreak but has Facetimed him and phoned," Kath added.

The carer explained that they cannot do bingo as it ends in squabbles.

"We do quizzes, cards but they like to sit down and chat to us one on one.

"You have to love what you do. We are here to give respect and dignity to dementia patients.

"We have a massive garden, with tomato and strawberry plants to enjoy," she added.