Sir, I have visited many care homes over the years and I have almost always been impressed by the patience, tolerance and compassion of the staff caring for residents, some of whom can be very difficult at times and others, occasionally, frankly aggressive (“Old people turn to ‘lonely’ care homes only as final resort”, Sept 3).
Any case of abuse is, of course, inexcusable and 7,654 cases reported over a year is dreadful. That said, with 450,000 people in care homes at present, this means that 1.7 per cent of that population has reported abuse. Even if one adds an element for unreported abuse, it seems clear that the great majority are not abused, so the poor reputation of care homes may be undeserved.
The challenge is how to work out which homes will provide high-quality care for a relative who may now be completely unmanageable at home with severe dementia or double incontinence.
Some of us have been arguing for years that there should be an annual survey of care home residents — and/or their relatives — measuring their experience of care and their quality of life. I believe that this would generally produce positive figures, but certainly the published results should enable people to make a more informed choice.
Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen
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Barnet, Herts
Sir, Your report (Sept 3) gives a bleak snapshot of just some of the issues facing our rapidly ageing society. Older people left languishing in hospital wards, fears of poor care in care homes and the risk of neglect or abuse — the Demos and Age UK reports make for grim reading. As the Demos report found, some providers are evolving and great care does exist. We are aware of the many concerns facing the older people of today and the future. However, the underlying theme with these reports seems to be that the government is not.
The government, care providers and the NHS need to work together to ensure that a crisis in social care is averted. This can only be achieved with representation at the highest level of government. In 2011, 137,000 people signed the petition for a Minister for Older People to be appointed — which was handed to No 10. The case for change is stronger than ever, and action is long overdue.
Jane Ashcroft
CEO, Anchor, and commissioner, Commission on Residential Care
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Sir, With regard to the King’s Fund report (“Elderly must pay more for better care system”, Sept 4), I have spent a career trying — with varying degrees of success — to bridge the gap between health and social care. It is clear to me that both agencies are keen, indeed actively seek, to co-operate for the good of their patient/client. The stumbling block has always been the fractured funding system between monies raised locally and governed by locally elected council members, and that driven from central government.
Experience tells me that if we crack this funding question, the rest will be easy. For too long we have had to work in a system which is confusing not only to those receiving care but to the very people working within it.
Christina Sell
Managing director, Langton Care
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Sir, The report by the Commission on Residential Care A vision for care fit for the 21st century describes the negative perceptions associated with the term residential care, and instead uses the term “housing with care” as it “encapsulates the entire spectrum of options from care homes to extra care villages and supported living apartments”.
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This creates various problems. As things stand, the term “housing with care” (also known as extra care housing) is typically used to differentiate between a housing model, in which care is available around the clock, and a residential care model. As the report makes clear, a housing model offers distinct benefits, as well as being funded and regulated differently.
Until such time as the report’s recommendations become reality, and care homes become more like genuine housing with care, using the term “housing with care” when referring to residential care creates considerable confusion. It also risks having the opposite effect from that intended, transferring the negative perceptions of residential care onto housing with care.
Sue Garwood
(Extra care specialist)
Royston, Herts