Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly

October 8, 2013   Carers, Older care, Social care, ukcuts

Councils are abusing elderly people’s human rights by forcing down the price they pay agencies to provide care in their homes, the UK’s official equalities watchdog has warned.

Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly – watchdog

By , Social affairs Editor

8:00AM BST 08 Oct 2013

In a scathing report, it accused local authorities of actively creating “incentives” for private contractors for care to get worse rather than better.

The Commission found that in many cases councils are not even paying a rate which covers the “actual cost” of providing care.

As a result, it says, care workers are routinely being paid below the legal minimum wage when travel costs and time between appointments are included.

In turn morale in the industry is now so low that elderly people who rely on help simply to get out of bed or wash are faced with a constant turnover of staff, rushed appointments and basic tasks left undone.

Read More

Charity attacks 'rise' in 'disgraceful' short care visits

October 7, 2013   Carers, dementia, disability, Multiple Sclerosis, Older care, Social care, ukcuts

7 October 2013 Last updated at 10:52

Charity attacks ‘rise’ in ‘disgraceful’ short care visits

 

Richard Stapeley, who has Multiple Sclerosis, says his 30-minute visits are not long enough

Short care visits to elderly and disabled people are “disgraceful” and on the rise, a charity has claimed.

In England, 60% of councils use 15-minute visits, which are not long enough to provide adequate care Leonard Cheshire Disability says.

The charity says such visits can “force disabled people to choose whether to go thirsty or to go to the toilet”.

The government said the Care Bill would prevent “inappropriate” short visits but would not outlaw 15-minute visits.

Leonard Cheshire wants a ban on what it calls the “scandal of flying 15-minute visits”, lobbying the government to prevent the practice in England.

Read More

GPs to visit elderly in care homes under new contract plans

October 6, 2013   Carers, dementia, Older care

Doctors will be required to make regular visits to nursing homes to check on elderly patients, under plans for a sweeping overhaul of the way GPs work.

 

By , Political Correspondent

7:00AM BST 06 Oct 2013

Ministers want to impose a new legal duty on doctors to take responsibility for their patients’ care at evenings and weekends, and are to push their case in talks with the medical profession over the next six months.

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is said to be deeply concerned about poor standards of care for patients outside hospitals and is determined to enforce a return to the culture of family doctoring.

He is understood to be ready for a direct confrontation with the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association, over reforms to GPs’ contracts if it is necessary to deliver more convenient and reliable services for patients.

Read More