Elderly home care often breaches basic human rights

Following an inquiry into the home care system in England, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have revealed that the poor and often neglectful care that many older people receive is breaching their human rights.

The final report of the inquiry, entitled ‘Close to home: older people and human rights in home care’, challenges care practices that rely solely on a set list of tasks, rather than consulting older people about what they actually want, and that focus more on cost than on the quality of care provided.

The Commission says that hundreds of thousands of older people currently lack protection under the Human Rights Act and they are calling for this loophole in the legal system to be closed. They report that many people struggle to make their voices heard when trying to raise concerns about their care or explain what level and type of support they want. Ways for older people to complain about their care were found to be insufficient or ineffective. Many feel isolated and lonely or worry that their standard of care could worsen as a result of making a complaint.

The inquiry uncovered many cases of physical, mental or financial abuse, in addition to examples of older people being stripped of their dignity, privacy and choice. In fact, some older people who gave evidence were surprised that they had any choice at all in how their care could be arranged. Some people reported not receiving the support they required to eat and drink, whereas others were treated as if they were invisible.

Half of the older people who gave evidence to the inquiry were fully satisfied with their home care and said they valued having familiar, reliable staff who spent time with them and tended to their specific requirements and requests. Home care staff also spoke about deriving job satisfaction from improving the quality of an older person’s life. Sadly though, this is not the treatment experienced by around 50% of elderly people receiving home care and,with many local authorities planning to cut back spending in this area within the next 12 months, the Commission is concerned that conditions could worsen.

They are now calling for a number of measures to be implemented to protect the human rights of older people in the future. They want the Human Rights Act to be made more robust so that it protects the growing number of people receiving home care from private and voluntary sector agencies. They also want more effective monitoring from the government, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and local authorities to ensure that breaches to human rights can be detected more quickly and dealt with more decisively. Finally, they believe that Councils need clear, comprehensive guidance on human rights to enable them to promote and protect older people’s human rights when commissioning services.

Sally Greengross, Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “This is not about burdensome red tape, it is about protecting people from the kind of dehumanising treatment we have uncovered [...].

“Most of us will want to carry on living in our own homes in later life, even if we need help to do so. When implemented, the recommendations from this inquiry will provide secure foundations for a home care system that will let us do so safely, with dignity and independence.”

First Response training provides a wide and diverse range of training for all services within the adult health and social care sector, including Common Induction Standards and mandatory training. They currently work with around 2,000 care sector clients every year and provide training to over 30 local authorities across the UK.

Victoria O’Meara, dedicated Head of Quality and Curriculum at First Response, says: “All of our care training courses have been mapped to the QCF units, the GSCC Code of Practice for care workers and underpinned with dignity in care and personalisation principles. This has made a difference to our training provision as all care courses focus on personalisation, respect and dignity for the person receiving care. With our courses reflecting best practice in person centred care, we are able to meet the needs of our clients and improve knowledge and practice for care staff.

“We strongly believe that a high quality of care begins with high quality training. All courses are quality tested and, as standard, adhere to all relevant legislation, national standards and drivers and best practice guidelines. We consult and work collaboratively with the sectors that we operate within to ensure that the courses we offer meet their needs and deliver the required outcomes.”

First Response Training offers an induction training package to enable care workers to complete the revised Skills for Care Common Induction Standards 2010. The comprehensive distance learning manual is available for just £25 per unit, while for an additional cost First Response can offer a combined learning option which incorporates practical training courses, tutor support sessions and telephone advice and support from their Head of Quality and Curriculum.

The manual covers all of the new 8 standards and provides care workers with a physical record of their induction training and evidence of their skills and knowledge. It can also contribute towards the Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 2. It is a fantastic new product which First Response are very proud of, as their Managing Director, Perry Leeks, explains:

“The FRT Common Induction Standards manual is an innovative and cost effective new training product which supports care workers and their managers. It guides workers through the Skills for Care Common Induction Standards, demonstrating that they are ready to work with those requiring their care. It is flexible and provides invaluable training at a very affordable cost.”

For more information, please call First Response today on free phone 0800 310 2300.