People off work under the furlough scheme in Suffolk may be keeping busy by caring for older relatives according to a private care company serving the Felixstowe area.

Adult care bosses at Suffolk County Council also say they have noticed a significant drop in demand for care at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

Part of that is due to hospitals having frozen elective surgery, which ordinarily would require short periods of time where people needed carers to help them in their homes.

But it is also understood to be because people furloughed from work have opted to become carers for their elderly relatives while they are in lockdown.

Sarah Whitby, owner of Suffolk Caring Companions, has noticed a 75% drop in her care business since lockdown as concerns over the coronavirus and the change in people's work patterns.

"From what I have seen so far it has dropped because families are now caring for them now they are furloughed, there's a lot more local volunteers and a lot more local shop deliveries," said Sarah, whose company has introduced an even more personalised system to look after their clients. "The biggest reason why it has dropped is the vulnerable are rightly scared of catching coronavirus from having someone in their home.

"Me and my team at Suffolk Caring Companions are very passionate about infection control. We have full PPE, and we only see maximum of two clients per staff member a day and we have set staff members for set clients to minimise risk."

Sarah and her team use hand sanitizer before and after seeing every client and use anti-bacterial touch points inside and outside cars, on keys, door handles and steering wheels for example, and a similar routine is carried out in people's homes.

"This all heavily minimises the risk of clients catching anything especially covid-19, said Sarah.

However, experts like Sarah, have seen unsafe practices carried out, even with the best of intentions and warned "I am concerned for some people as I have witnessed people stopping similar care companies and having family care for them but the family members are then seeing many people or going to busy food shops and then going into the homes of the vulnerable people with no ppe.

"I do urge people that if you have a vulnerable person you are caring for please keep your safe distance invest in PPE or allow a company with full PPE to go and help."

Gavin Bultitude, assistant director for strategic planning with Suffolk County Council's adult care team, said: "What we have seen is many home care providers have seen a drop off in work.

There are clear reasons for that. One could be that so many people are not at work because they are furloughed and they have chosen to support their elderly relatives themselves.

"That's a good choice if they can do that. It means they are going into their elderly relative's house everyday instead of perhaps various carers, which may reduce the spread of infection.

"Or maybe if they are not working they are inviting elderly relatives to live with them."We think people have made a range of alternatives, so the demand for home care has dropped off."

The adult care team is expecting demand to pick up again as lockdown measures are eased and more people return to work.

A further increase in demand is likely as various elective surgeries such as hip or knee replacements begin again, and leave people needing some extra help at home.

The authority has set up a minimum income guarantee for those providers to ensure that they remain in business during the tough lockdown period, and means there will be providers available ready to pick up the demand as it increases over the coming weeks.

It is a similar approach taken by the council's education team which has supported the school transport providers during the lean lockdown period in order to ensure providers are still in business when lockdown is lifted.

The Chancellor last week announced the furlough scheme would be extended until October to help support those businesses in areas such as leisure and sport where it is anticipated that it will take longer to return to work.