Could visiting care be more of a danger than a help?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned recently that older people’s basic human rights are being overlooked in home care visits provided by community services.
The EHRC found evidence of people being left in bed for up to 17 hours at a time, being abandoned in soiled bed sheets, refused help to eat and drink, and being stripped of their privacy and dignity. The horrific evidence was found during an inquiry the EHRC is carrying out into protection and promotion of human rights of older people who require or receive home-based care and support in the UK.
The findings suggested that short appointment times, often of only 15 minutes, high staff turnover and a lack of training were some of the causes of the human rights breaches.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said the evidence showed instances of “serious neglect”. : “Decent care is about looking after a fellow human being in the way that we would like to be cared for when we are older,”.
"The biggest threat to the human rights of older people receiving care at home is from cuts to adult social care budgets, and it is very unclear whether tightening eligibility criteria to care will allow local authorities to continue to meet their human rights obligations," she added.
The United Kingdom Homecare Association described the findings as "disturbing" and reflected cost-cutting by council commissioners. "While the majority of homecare is delivered by voluntary organisations and private companies, it is funded by local councils, who effectively determine how much time is available to care providers to deliver services," it said.
"Regrettably, in the current financial situation, there is an emerging pattern of councils continuing to use their dominant purchasing power to push down the price paid to their providers and actively reducing the time allocated to each person receiving care."
This is yet another account of how home care visits are not meeting expectations. As social care funding decreases more and more, the danger of home care visits being cut short will increase greatly, and with it the danger of neglecting older peoples' basic human rights.
With live in care from Alma Safe Care, these dangers can be avoided. Alma Safe Care provides qualified Nurses to live in the home to provide care, companionship and help when required - NOT restrcited to a 15 minute visit.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned recently that older people’s basic human rights are being overlooked in home care visits provided by community services.
The EHRC found evidence of people being left in bed for up to 17 hours at a time, being abandoned in soiled bed sheets, refused help to eat and drink, and being stripped of their privacy and dignity. The horrific evidence was found during an inquiry the EHRC is carrying out into protection and promotion of human rights of older people who require or receive home-based care and support in the UK.
The findings suggested that short appointment times, often of only 15 minutes, high staff turnover and a lack of training were some of the causes of the human rights breaches.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said the evidence showed instances of “serious neglect”. : “Decent care is about looking after a fellow human being in the way that we would like to be cared for when we are older,”."The biggest threat to the human rights of older people receiving care at home is from cuts to adult social care budgets, and it is very unclear whether tightening eligibility criteria to care will allow local authorities to continue to meet their human rights obligations," she added.
The United Kingdom Homecare Association described the findings as "disturbing" and reflected cost-cutting by council commissioners. "While the majority of homecare is delivered by voluntary organisations and private companies, it is funded by local councils, who effectively determine how much time is available to care providers to deliver services," it said.
"Regrettably, in the current financial situation, there is an emerging pattern of councils continuing to use their dominant purchasing power to push down the price paid to their providers and actively reducing the time allocated to each person receiving care."
This is yet another account of how home care visits are not meeting expectations. As social care funding decreases more and more, the danger of home care visits being cut short will increase greatly, and with it the danger of neglecting older peoples' basic human rights.
With live in care from Alma Safe Care, these dangers can be avoided. Alma Safe Care provides qualified Nurses to live in the home to provide care, companionship and help when required - NOT restrcited to a 15 minute visit.
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