Yes, I just want to build on the information my colleagues have already provided.
You are correct that there was an ability to issue a five-year multiple-entry visa, but until recently, what officers tended to do as a first response was to issue a single entry, if that was what was preferred by the client. If the client advised that they wished to have a visa for a two- or a three-year period, that's what was done, rather than issuing it for five years. There was a limitation on the validity of the visa that was dictated by the validity of the passport, and there may have been other issues that came into play as well.
So yes, it was possible to do it. Was it done frequently? Probably not. But we certainly have provided instructions to missions, as of July certainly, and that will go with the 10-year multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents, that they are to assess applications with a facilitative point of mind and issue visas for the longest duration possible--again, limited by the validity of the passport.