The family of a great-grandfather have shared heartbreaking images of him one year apart to highlight the cruel effect a year of separation is having on care home residents.
Photos of dementia-hit John Ross, 89, show the dreadful impact that long-term isolation to protect against coronavirus can have.
The former engineer has been living in a care home in south Liverpool away from his wife of 63 years, Marlene, for over a year.
As pictures show, this time last year he was looking healthy and smiling as he put his arm around Marlene after presenting her with a bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day.
In another picture taken around the same time he looked well – and his family say he was in good shape at the time.
But after a year of separation from his loving family because of the coronavirus pandemic, John has deteriorated.
His smile is gone and he looks gaunt and unkempt, and when his daughter Penny Ogden is allowed a rare visit, he tells her: ‘I’ve got nothing left to live for. I want to die.’
John was born in India and met Marlene there, before the two moved back to the UK to get married and settle in Liverpool.
He has only seen his beloved wife once for 20 minutes in the past 12 months – and his children only a handful of times.
John has five children, 21 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Penny said the lack of family contact has been devastating for him and sadly means he doesn’t remember many members of his family.
She said: ‘In the last year he has deteriorated so much in his appearance. He just looks absolutely awful. He’s lost so much weight, he’s not eating or drinking. He has changed so much.