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| - Nina Ambrose couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her father during the coronavirus pandemic -- so she volunteered to work at the care home where he lives. The 49-year-old Briton has been visiting the home up to four times a week so she can see her dad, Roger, who suffers from Alzheimer's. "Dad moved into a home in January and by the time lockdown came into play he had only been there a matter of weeks," she told AFP. "And I thought, I can't leave him there." Many care homes closed their doors to visitors 0as COVID-19 swept Britain, and a nationwide stay-at-home order was imposed on March 23. Ambrose, who works at a cosmetic company but was put on paid leave when the outbreak began, contacted the care home in Chelmsford, southeast England, to see if they needed help. They said yes, but she had to go through two job interviews, and "eight or nine" exams before being accepted as a volunteer. She has now been working in the care home for more than two months, helping staff with activities for residents such as bingo, arts and craft and balloon tennis. Ambrose says she enjoys it, although nothing will compare with the first time she was able to see her father, 76, after volunteering. "I hadn't seen him for five weeks so that was absolutely incredible. And a real heartwarming moment," she said. She says she has enjoyed getting to know the residents and learning about their lives at the home, in part because she is "quite nosey". Ambrose said she will "definitely, definitely" continue volunteering after the pandemic passes. "More people need to do good deeds," she said. Britain has been hard hit by the global coronavirus pandemic and, like in many other countries, its care homes have suffered particularly badly. Research published earlier this month by healthcare consultancy LaingBuisson estimated that almost half of those who will end up dying from the disease in England will be care home residents. Britain has so far recorded some 43,000 deaths for those who have tested positive for coronavirus. However, the real figure is likely closer to 60,000, based on excess deaths official statistics. video-dmh/ar/phz/ach
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