Carehome residents were reunited with their loved ones in moving scenes at Larkfield View

Manager Elsie MacLennan told the Tele there was not a dry eye in the house as visitors were allowed in to the care home for the first time in four months.

Couples like Robert and Myra Henderson sat in the garden, reunited at a safe distance as lockdown starts to ease.

During the Covid-19 outbreak staff at Larkfield View have worked round the clock to care for residents, keep them safe and also be by the side of those tragically overcome by the virus.

Their manager today paid a heartfelt tribute to them for battling against the odds.

Elsie said: "It has been an emotional rollercoaster for us all.

"Like care homes everywhere we were affected by Covid-19 and lost people.

"It has been hard but my staff have been amazing.

"We had a huge responsibility to keep families in touch with their loved ones in here and nothing was too much trouble for my team."

Care homes locked down in March as the virus started to take hold.

Larkfield View immediately pulled out all the stops to keep families in touch with loved ones, through Facetime and other means.

As the outbreak progressed staff even had to take on special responsibilities when people passed away, including religious practices like the sacrament of the sick.

Elsie said: "No one was alone.

"We are like a big family here.

"We know our residents inside and out, what they like, what they don't like, what their hobbies are and what makes them happy.

"Our staff took on so many other responsibilities without any complaint."

Inverclyde has faced the highest death rate from coronavirus in the country, with 116 deaths and 39 of them residents in local care homes.

Elsie said: "It was the most challenging experience I have ever faced. "Hopefully we will never see anything like it again.

"We had staff self-isolating as well and they had family shielding.

"But everyone went above and beyond, volunteering to fill in shifts.

"I am so proud of them."

Throughout it all Elsie says the care home was given a tremendous lift by the support received from the local community.

She said: "People handed in so many donations to staff and residents. It was overwhelming.

"When residents passed away some of them left from here, and when they passed people came out on to the streets as a mark of respect.

"It meant so much to us that the families felt they wanted to do that, I get emotional just thinking about it."

Larkfield View has now opened up its garden as a meeting place and every afternoon loved ones can visit.

Elsie says this has made a huge difference to the atmosphere.

She told the Tele: "Some of our visitors had other family at the gate to wave in as well.

"The place feels a little lighter now."