Risk of abuse leaves 70% of adults afraid of ending up in care home

• Inspection finds 1 in 6 nursing homes don’t treat patients with dignity and respect
• Only 41% of relatives believe loved ones enjoy a good quality of life in care
  

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 00:07, 26 February 2013 | UPDATED: 07:36, 26 February 20

Fears: Half of those surveyed said their biggest concern if a close relative goes into care is the risk of abuse. (Picture posed by model)

Seventy per cent of adults fear ending up in a care home amid concerns about poor treatment and abuse, a survey reveals.

It found two thirds believe not enough is being done to tackle the problem, and half say their biggest concern if a close relative goes into care is the risk of abuse.

The Alzheimer’s Society report also shows a record 80 per cent of those living in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems, compared with previous estimates of around 62 per cent.

The report, Low Expectations, reveals the pessimism of relatives and carers about the quality of life in care homes.

It found fewer than half of dementia sufferers in care homes enjoy a good quality of life, with more than a quarter of relatives saying it is ‘poor’.

The report comes after six care workers at the Winterbourne View home near Bristol were sent to prison last year for ‘cruel, callous and degrading’ abuse of disabled residents.

At the same time, inspections by the Care Quality Commission found one in six nursing homes did not treat patients with dignity and respect.

The Alzheimer’s Society report estimates that 322,000 of 400,000 care home residents have dementia or memory problems.

However, it found only 41 per cent of relatives believe their loved ones enjoy a good quality of life in care, and 28 per cent think it is poor.

Despite this, the report found three quarters of relatives would recommend their family member’s home.