We are indebted to Carmen Olga Palma, Chair of the organisation that operates the Anita Goulden Home, and Anita Mollet, adviser to the Home and the Trust, for keeping the Trust informed of developments in Piura. The following is a summary of their recent communications.

The year started well. After the traditional Christmas festivities for the residents, most of them stayed with their families over the holidays, enhancing family ties as well as allowing staff of the Home to take a break. Returning in the New Year, the residents started new therapies in a new Centre not far from the Home and had enjoyed visiting the swimming pool at a local rehabilitation centre. In January, the manager of the Home came to the end of her contract, but happily she was quickly replaced and the new manager is reported to be enthusiastic and fitting in well.

Then came the Covid-19 outbreak and everything changed. Peru has adopted some of the strictest measures of any country to control the spread of the virus. Airports and all public transport were closed. Shops are closed and only food stores, and ever fewer of them, are operating. There is a curfew from 4pm until 6am. Outside those hours, younger adults may go out only to buy food or visit the pharmacy. Older adults may not leave their homes. Hospitals in Piura are only treating emergencies.

The Home is in isolation and all possible measures to avoid infection by the virus have been taken. Sra. Palma and Sra. Mollet may not visit the Home, but are in constant contact by telephone and by monitoring cameras in the Home, which are linked to their mobile ‘phones.

The staff have responded well to the crisis and the Home continues to operate, although with changed working hours. Nursing staff have to do 24-hour shifts, from 7am to 7am. Other staff work from 7am to 2pm. Sra. Hayve, the new manager, travels by motorbike, which is very helpful at this time when cars may not circulate. She has permission to travel between 6am and 4pm. Workers over 60 are considered elderly under the new regulations and they may stay at home whilst still being paid their salary. The Home has three employees in that category, one of whom is currently on holiday, but this has not harmed its ability to function.

The residents are all in stable condition, although missing their outings and visits from volunteers, which have had to be stopped. The kitchen staff try to give them a rich and varied menu and they are accompanied and receiving their therapy throughout the day. Such problems as have arisen, the staff are well equipped to handle. Luckily, they have not been faced with any emergencies.

What does worry the Home is that local Health Centres are contaminated by Covid-19, so steps had to be taken, successfully so far, for the residents’ medications to be brought to them without them having to go to the surgery. Also, the Home depends to a very great extent on local donations of food, medicines and supplies. Perhaps not surprisingly, since the start of the lockdown they are receiving almost nothing.

We are enormously grateful to all our donors and we hope that their continued generosity will enable us to provide whatever support the Home and its residents need to take them through this exceptionally difficult period.