The standards of care provided for older people in their homes in the UK has been labelled “shocking and disgraceful” by a consumer group.
‘Which?’ found cases of missed visits, food left out of reach, medication not given and people being left in soiled beds during its investigation.
It concluded that far too many faced a “constant battle” to just get the basic help and support they needed.
The UK Home Care Association said it was never acceptable for people to experience rushed or inadequate care. ‘Which?’ said the findings – based on a survey and diaries kept by the elderly – showed the system needed drastic reform.
More than 500,000 people rely on help at home with activities such as washing, dressing, and other domiciliary care related activities. Below is a statement derived from the care diary made by Alan Mackinnon, Hull, regarding the home care he received:
I am 72-years-old and have serious chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
I need care to clean my home, shop and also to bathe.
The quality of care from registered agencies has left much to be desired and I have been forced to arrange my own care and fund it myself as a result.
I have had quite a bit of contact with care companies and carers and it is my opinion that care companies offer very little training and do not supervise their staff.
They pay as little as they can get away with and work their staff like slaves – it’s unsurprising that this leads to abuses, if only due to the workers’ frustration with their working conditions.
I have also heard from various carers that they don’t get paid for travelling time so they are always having to rush off.
The people running the companies just want to make as much money as possible.
Now I pay a friend privately to help me clean the flat and I pay a local chap to bring me one meal per day.
I’m worried about the future as I get older and more disabled. The system needs a shake-up now.
Can such poor standards of domiciliary care continue? At Stepping Out,we offer only the highest standard of care in all our services. These include semi independent living projects, as well as domiciliary care.
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