In an unprecedented collaboration, the community’s three biggest residential care home charities have launched a joint emergency appeal to help deal with the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis on their services.

Jewish Care, Nightingale Hammerson and The Fed in Manchester, in association with the National Association of Jewish Homes (NAJH), are hoping to raise several million pounds.

The three charities currently care for more than 1,000 elderly Jews, many with underlying health issues, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid-19. 

They have already implemented significant and costly changes, investing heavily in personal protective equipment and providing the technology to allow residents to make video calls to family and friends who are no longer allowed to visit.

It is also anticipated that increasing numbers of older community members will be discharged from hospital to free up NHS beds but cannot be cared for in their own homes.

In this scenario, the welfare charities will use spare capacity to accommodate them.

Ten per cent of the appeal income will go to smaller care homes across the community that are part of the NAJH. The remainder will be split between Jewish Care, Nightingale and The Fed.

The Jewish Leadership Council is supporting the campaign. Jewish Care chief executive Daniel Carmel-Brown said “extraordinary times demand an extraordinary response.

“Our dedicated staff teams are working round the clock. We’re incredibly proud of them. We need our community to continue to demonstrate their commitment too.”

Echoing his sentiments, his Nightingale counterpart Helen Simmons declared: “Never before have our care homes needed the community’s support like we do now.

“We are so grateful for all the support we have received so far but we need more so we can continue to care for those that need it most.”

The Fed chief executive Mark Cunningham highlighted “the huge gap between the funding we receive from local authorities and the actual cost of residential care.

“This will be put under even more pressure with hospitals needing to discharge. Between us, we need to raise several million pounds to keep our vital work going.

“As the current chair of the NAJH, I know the 16 other care home organisations are in desperate need. So supporting the campaign really will be supporting the whole community.”

Donations can be made online or by cheque to Jewish Homes Emergency Appeal, 221 Golders Green Road, London NW11 9DQ. Cheques should be made payable to Jewish Homes Emergency Appeal.