care in the uk - a disgrace

[Shechemite]

More grimness, and more evidence that freedom won’t come from some silly individualist libertarianism but from a just society where resources are shared (and governed) equitably. Poverty and coercion being two sides of the same coin

Fears over ‘catastrophic’ policy that could force disabled people into care homes

A local authority’s draft care policy could have “catastrophic” implications for disabled people and see them forced into residential homes against their will, disabled activists have warned. Brist…

www.disabilitynewsservice.com

 

[hash tag]

"better value to BCC".
Who cares about people anymore

 

[Shechemite]

Some people aren’t really people

‘Disturbing neglect’ as disabled children left to go hungry

Investigation reveals harrowing details of special school closed after damning Ofsted inspection

schoolsweek.co.uk

 

[hash tag]

Some people aren’t really people

‘Disturbing neglect’ as disabled children left to go hungry

Investigation reveals harrowing details of special school closed after damning Ofsted inspection

schoolsweek.co.uk

So many issues with that; still at least it wasn't ignored and was closed down.

 

[hitmouse]

Big article from James Butler in the new LRB, reviewing some new books on the subject and just looking at the crisis as a whole:

James Butler · This Concerns Everyone: Crisis in Care · LRB 2 March 2023

All of us depend, in early age and often at the end of life, on the care of others. We are shaped by individual,...

www.lrb.co.uk

 

[friendofdorothy]

This is a disgrace. Elderly gay man has to fight to protect his partner of over 50 years from appalling 'care' and crowd fund to meet his court costs.

Ted Brown has won his court case and for the first time in the UK, the abuse his partner suffered was recognised as homophobic.

Like the GLF activist that he has been for 50 years he wants to make this a national campaign to get justice for all the people suffering hate crimes at the hands of their so called carers.

Private Eye has written an article about it in the current edition.

 

[Shechemite]

Think I’ve posted about the Breightmet Centre here before, but can’t find the post. Anyway they got a second chance by the CQC (after being rated inadequate). They’re still abusing, overly restraining and failing to provider support to people. Maybe third time lucky.

There’s a comment in the comments section of the article calling for ‘public executions’ of the directors of such places. I’m not going to endorse such sentiments, but it does show to me at least how much anger there is amongst ‘normies’ when it comes to abuse like this.

'We saw staff laughing at the people they were supposed to be looking after'

Inspectors found 'disproportionate levels of restraint', 'care plans not being followed', 'people spending most of their time alone in their rooms'

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

[brogdale]

Think I’ve posted about the Breightmet Centre here before, but can’t find the post. Anyway they got a second chance by the CQC (after being rated inadequate). They’re still abusing, overly restraining and failing to provider support to people. Maybe third time lucky.

There’s a comment in the comments section of the article calling for ‘public executions’ of the directors of such places. I’m not going to endorse such sentiments, but it does show to me at least how much anger there is amongst ‘normies’ when it comes to abuse like this.

'We saw staff laughing at the people they were supposed to be looking after'

Inspectors found 'disproportionate levels of restraint', 'care plans not being followed', 'people spending most of their time alone in their rooms'

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Am in the very thick of an ongoing and wide ranging spread of complaints against my late FiL's provider and the commissioning authority. Looks highly likely that both will end up with ombudsman, particularly as we've already had to use the MP's office to even got any response out of the authority. So...long-winded way of saying...thanks for your updates on here; keeps me keeping on. Can't let the fuckers get away with it.

 

[cupid_stunt]

My mother has been bed blocking for months, finally a dementia care home place has come up, I decided to go and inspect it without warning, I was welcomed, I got to meet two managers, and the four care workers on duty, and was allowed to talk to a couple of residents in the common living room, I was most impressed.

I hope they don't disappoint me down the line.

 

[hash tag]

Don't the McGuinness's sound like a charming bunch

Mother of disgraced operator tries to reopen children’s home closed by Ofsted

Alison McGuinness has applied for regulator’s approval of Bolton facility using new company with different name

www.theguardian.com

 

[Shechemite]

The papers, which referred to Sarah as "it" and a "difficult child"

Family whose baby died after being drugged & harnessed offered 'insulting' £13k

A family whose baby tragically died after she was found hanging from a harness used to strap her to a bed have branded an offer of £13,300 compensation 'insulting'

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[friendofdorothy]

Ted Brown has won his court case and for the first time in the UK, the abuse his partner suffered was recognised as homophobic.

Like the GLF activist that he has been for 50 years he wants to make this a national campaign to get justice for all the people suffering hate crimes at the hands of their so called carers.

Private Eye has written an article about it in the current edition.

Ted is starting a campaign to highligh the issue:

"Into Harm's Way" - a recent article from Private Eye - highlighting homophobic abuse in a care home in Lambeth.
This is not a unique incident - but thanks to whistle-blowers who have spoken up, and Ted Brown's relentless quest for justice he has been able to take Lambeth Council to court - and has won his case.
This win should impact services and the implementation of policies to improve practice in all care homes, - at least in Lambeth.
Following a public event at Brixton Library to highlight older LGBTQ+ people going into care homes and the homophobic experiences that they have endured, there is now a campaign to highlight the issue.

Please write to <[email protected]> to register your interest.

 

[mojo pixy]

This is appalling, and underlines why the care sector is such a fucking disgrace...

Yesterday I had an email from Indeed offering this job:

I don't know how many people here know what a 'senior carer' actually does, but essentially you're supervising a team of carers for 12 hours at a stretch (them and all their stupid shit) doling out all meds (potentially a life-or-death task), making sure all risk assessments, DoLS and safeguarding assessments are followed, writing and passing across handover notes which means you need a detailed knowledge of all in-house issues that can affect patient safety / dignity etc, as well as every patient's specific needs and limitations. You have to make sure breaks are taken fairly, that all health and safety protocols are followed, and if anyone goes off shift you have to cover for them till someone else arrives to take over (if someone else can be found). Your 12-hour shift can easily become 13 or more, and see the wage they're offering?

£10.75 per hour.

I looked this company up, here's an excerpt from their company info:





So this company makes ~£400 000 profit - while offering their seniors £10.75 per hour. This is normal in the care sector. And we wonder why care in the UK is a disgrace? Well no, we don't wonder.

 

[hash tag]

On the plus side at least that is an employee with a salary as opposed to zero hours which many carers are on

 

[hash tag]

From today's rag Britain’s care homes crisis: children sent to live hundreds of miles away

 

[panpete]

Depressing thread is depressing.
I once watched a few "care" videos, I cannot un-see what I saw.
I thank my lucky stars I am able bodied and sound of mind and my heart goes out to those who depend on what is called "care".

 

[GarveyLives]

How desperately sad ... and avoidable?:

Disabled woman died days after being dropped by care home workers, inquest told

The inquest continues at West London Coroner's Court.

 

[hash tag]

Halving social care workforce funding in England an ‘insult’, ministers told

Charities criticise new plans, described as a ‘shadow of the reform needed’ with the care system ‘on the precipice’

www.theguardian.com

Halved as demand increases..."In a white paper on adult social care reform published in December 2021, ministers pledged to invest “at least £500m over the next three years to begin to transform the way we support the social care workforce”.


However, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Tuesday that plans for a “new care workforce pathway” as well as “hundreds of thousands of training places” will be backed by £250m in funding."

"Faced with a deficit of 165,000 care workers"

I went out to help an elderly chap yesterday ( on the 8th floor of a tower block ). I was chatting to his elderly wife and she said she had just cancelled their carers
as she can no longer afford them. Goodness knows how she will cope

 

[newme]

"better value to BCC".
Who cares about people anymore

I do know Bristol are currently investing in a fair amount of tech to help people stay in their own homes, unfortunately budgets all over are just fucked. Cornwall Council have been reducing everything every year til there was no option but to put up council tax or not be able to fund adult social care. Everyone moaned at it then went to the usual thing of complaining about bins and potholes but its central government funding not coming to local councils thats screwing everyone over.

 

[hash tag]

I do know Bristol are currently investing in a fair amount of tech to help people stay in their own homes, unfortunately budgets all over are just fucked. Cornwall Council have been reducing everything every year til there was no option but to put up council tax or not be able to fund adult social care. Everyone moaned at it then went to the usual thing of complaining about bins and potholes but its central government funding not coming to local councils thats screwing everyone over.

Tech! WTF. What with the cut backs in care, meals on meals, day centres etc. Many people I see don't see another sole from one day to the next. It's not tech they need, it is interaction with other humans.

 

[newme]

Tech! WTF. What with the cut backs in care, meals on meals, day centres etc. Many people I see don't see another sole from one day to the next. It's not tech they need, it is interaction with other humans.

I don't know the whole of it but I do know anti-fall tech is something that is useful and from a different funding pot. My MIL fell and smashed her femur (yes it was a medication fuck up causing weakened bones, when they said femur I had some choice words) and if my dad had not been alive at the time she could have been there indefinitely, we bring her meals as there is no meals on wheels.

Unfortunately government funding pots are often stupid and not at the most basic level, keeping 100 people able to live in there own houses through fall detection tech saves money to spend on things like meals on wheels. I am not saying its perfect, I have however dealt with some of the people who desperately want to improve these things and it improves their bottom line on spending for things like this if they are not paying emergency rates for other things.

 

[hash tag]

The fall detection stuff does it help prevent falls or alert people when they fall ( which is my job ).

 

[newme]

The fall detection stuff does it help prevent falls or alert people when they fall ( which is my job ).

I think its alerting people. It's not my area of expertise. I make sure it's all legal not the details of the tech. Will have a look tho.


Company was solvent, had the capabilities and track record, appropriate qualifications and industry/government approvals. Past that it's down to people who actually know this stuff to say if it's useful. They massively increased the order after a year of testing tho so I assume its good. Also better value in bulk.

 

[hash tag]

I think its alerting people. It's not my area of expertise. I make sure it's all legal not the details of the tech. Will have a look tho.


Company was solvent, had the capabilities and track record, appropriate qualifications and industry/government approvals. Past that it's down to people who actually know this stuff to say if it's useful. They massively increased the order after a year of testing tho so I assume its good. Also better value in bulk.

My problem with those, well certainly the ones we use, people expect far too much of them. They are activated by shock or by pressing a button, but the shock bit is not guaranteed. We had a client who was always setting hers off by wandering around her house clapping. When she fell, fortunately it was more slump than shock which means she did not hurt herself but unfortunately the alarm did not activate. I know their sensitivity can be adjusted but they are still infallible.
There are better, much more sophisticated falls sensors out there, but they are very expensive.

 

[newme]

My problem with those, well certainly the ones we use, people expect far too much of them. They are activated by shock or by pressing a button, but the shock bit is not guaranteed. We had a client who was always setting hers off by wandering around her house clapping. When she fell, fortunately it was more slump than shock which means she did not hurt herself but unfortunately the alarm did not activate. I know their sensitivity can be adjusted but they are still infallible.
There are better, much more sophisticated falls sensors out there, but they are very expensive.

Not sure what expensive in this area is, they did not appear cheap however given I was engaged to check it. People always expect too much from tech, my MIL bought an iPad, then phoned us up complaining they had no idea what to do with it?! I can only imagine what comes from more specifically allocated tech. I would not be surprised if someone expected it to self right themselves then administer medical care while it called an ambulance.

 

[hash tag]

What my place offers is a simple pendant. The high tech stuff is motion sensor type stuff in every room.

 

[newme]

What my place offers is a simple pendant. The high tech stuff is motion sensor type stuff in every room.

Guardian systems were involved so the latter.

 

[gosub]

Halving social care workforce funding in England an ‘insult’, ministers told

Charities criticise new plans, described as a ‘shadow of the reform needed’ with the care system ‘on the precipice’

www.theguardian.com

Halved as demand increases..."In a white paper on adult social care reform published in December 2021, ministers pledged to invest “at least £500m over the next three years to begin to transform the way we support the social care workforce”.


However, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Tuesday that plans for a “new care workforce pathway” as well as “hundreds of thousands of training places” will be backed by £250m in funding."

"Faced with a deficit of 165,000 care workers"

I went out to help an elderly chap yesterday ( on the 8th floor of a tower block ). I was chatting to his elderly wife and she said she had just cancelled their carers
as she can no longer afford them. Goodness knows how she will cope

Was listening to radio 4 yesterday...they've also cut the number of hours non career carers can work other jobs as well, from 16 to 13 hours

So you probably can't afford a carer that hasn't been recruited and are taking a cost of living cut for doing it yourself

 

[brogdale]

Was listening to radio 4 yesterday...they've also cut the number of hours non career carers can work other jobs as well, from 16 to 13 hours

So you probably can't afford a carer that hasn't been recruited and are taking a cost of living cut for doing it yourself

I think this is a function of the £132/week earnings cap being frozen.

 

[GarveyLives]

How desperately sad ... and avoidable?:

Disabled woman died days after being dropped by care home workers, inquest told

The inquest continues at West London Coroner's Court.

(Source: as stated in image)​

The more one reads, the more it appears that this lady was completely failed by all those who came into contact with her at her time of greatest need:

Disabled woman discharged from hospital with fractures - inquest

Disabled woman victim of catastrophic failures, inquest told

The inquest into her death continues.