CORONAVIRUS LATEST: Young Derry man moves into care home to give residents 'best care' and protect family

A young care worker at Owen Mor in Derry has made the brave decision to move out of his family home to look after residents and protect his relatives from coronavirus.

Stephen Blakely (20) will stay at the Culmore Road care centre on a permanent basis to care for its ‘amazing residents’.

The Derry man says he is fully committed to providing the best care for ‘extremely vulnerable’ people living there and defended the home’s ‘unbelievable staff’.

His social media statement comes after it was reported earlier today that six Owen Mor residents on the same unit tested positive for coronavirus and are now in isolation.

Stephen expressed his disappointment regarding negative press coverage as this comes on the back of failed inspections last year which were well publicised in local and national news.

“I love my job and don’t do this for any amount of money, nothing but to give my residents the best care possible,” Stephen explained.

“The staff are unbelievable, we are working extremely physically and mentally demanding 12 hour shifts every day and putting our own health and our families health at very high risk.

“I am posting this because the only thing you ever see about our workplace is negative press, yet we treat every resident like our very own family and treat them with the utmost respect and dignity doing absolutely everything we can for them.

“Yet we read terrible comments about the staff or management almost every single day.”

He added: “Management and staff are doing amazing! Especially nurses.

“Every carer in unit 1/2/4/5/6/7 are doing an astonishing job and providing the best care for residents, this goes for maintenance, laundry and kitchen staff too who are doing an unreal job but are easily forgot about.

“Let’s see if the news outlets will report this.

“I am here and will be here for no matter how long it takes to prevent residents’ health deteriorating and keep my residents as safe as possible.  Young, old, sick, not sick or disabilities, I don’t care. I will always be there caring for them when this blows over.

“Brighter days are ahead.”