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The Relatives & Residents Association exists for older people needing, or living in, residential care and the families and friends left behind at home.
2 August 2016
AFTERTHOUGhT ON NAMING AND SHAMING TODAY'S RELATIVES ...
Having been contacted by a major news outlet for comments on the Daily Telegraph’s piece (01.08.16) ‘China village names and shames people who do not take proper care of their elderly', Judy Downey, R&RA Chair, was asked:
Whether the R&RA like to comment and do we find the same phenomenon here?
Well, actually we're a helpline for relatives and friends. The vast majority of people who get in touch with us are desperately worried about the standards of care their elderly relative is receiving at home, in care homes or in hospital.
Aren’t relatives too focused on their careers to care?
They are generally trying to do all they can to make life better for their elderly relatives, even when they live a long way away. The ‘children’ of those in care homes or needing care can be in their 70's and more. Their parents can be generally in their late 80s, 90s and 100's. This often means that very many 'children' are not in good health themselves, a large number have caring responsibilities for other family members, grandchildren and parents-in-law, and some, yes, also have work they need or want to do to support themselves and others.
A high proportion has had to stop work. It is not uncommon for them to have had to stop their caring role because of their own deteriorating conditions, often because they could no longer do the lifting, the 24 hour continence care, and cope with the complexities and, sometimes, the aggression brought on by dementia, the lack of sleep and the need for more appropriate support.
But, in the past, we cared so much better for our elderly didn't we?
Would it be that past when relatively few people lived beyond their 70's and death in your 60s and 70's was the norm? And when women had to give up work when they got married?
Or that past when we were so caring as a society that destitute, 'senile' or frail elderly poor people ended up in the workhouse?
Unfortunately that media outlet didn't want our comments after a preliminary interchange. We're still wondering why...
29 July 2016
CQC FINDS FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE HOMES INDADEQUATE,
RESIDENTS AT RISK
A damning set of reports by CQC on the five private care homes operated by BUPA in Suffolk found four out of the five inadequate, the lowest possible category and one needing improvement. Lack of proper backup for local managers, staff inadequacies, the isolation of residents, and basic failures such as lack of proper medication control and cleanliness were all noted as factors.
On BBC Radio Suffolk’s lead news item, R&RA Chair Judy Downey called this state of affairs unacceptable for the 270 public and privately funded residents involved, many in their 80s or 90s with dementia, and in some cases “at risk of significant harm” from the provider’s failures.
The reality for these vulnerable residents in Bupa’s homes is, sadly, nothing like the claims in its advertising. It is imperative for Bupa to “live up to its own PR” and make immediate changes in management and regime.
It is equally important for CQC to follow up these failing homes urgently with enforcement action if there has been no improvement.
Listen to the full BBC Radio Suffolk interview here ...
