Ed Balls Crisis in Care.

Karaoke - no, please!!!

Some people like it, though.

Redl care of the elderly was the responsibility of the state until the 1980s. The Thatcher government produced a white paper, "Growing older" and a consultative document "Care in the Community" which changed the focus from hospital to community care. The burden of paying for this care fell onto local authorities and this is when private residential nursing homes moved in. I remember all of this as I was a ward sister on a care of the elderly unit in an NHS hospital. It was a great place to work and care for patients who had a wide range of conditions from stroke to dementia, all cared for by qualified nurses and highly motivated and reasonably well paid nursing assistants. It is now a private nursing home.
The crisis that is happening now will only be resolved, in my opinion, by bringing those care homes back under the umbrella of the NHS, and where quality of care not profit margins are the prevailing factor in looking after our elderly population.

Since the introduction of the system whereby care would be provided by external agencies and not NHS there has never been consideration given to the pay of those care workers. The system was and still is geared to profit. Why would private companies take on the roll if they hadn't thought there would be profit in it Didn't see the Ed Balls programme but no matter what it would take an awful lot to convince me the system is human being centred and not profit. No one who needs looking after should have to pay for it and that applies to all countried of GB.

Bijou

I did report it but it is still the same. Probably because the private rooms are more profitable than the private ones.

Sorry I got your name wrong - it was a typo Bijou.
Yes, private -v- public funding but all should receive the same level of decent care.

Germanshepherdsmum

Karaoke - no, please!!!

Not with me singing! ???

People do all recieved the same care, relative to the home, of course.
If someone wants to use the toilet, it isn't limited if they aren't self funded.
The carers would have no idea, anyway.

MissAdventure

Some people like it, though.

Exactly, you have to do different things as not everyone is the same.

Calistemon

No-one deserves to go to the kind of place Bujou had to endure but cafés, bars, a hairdressing salon are not absolutely necessary. I know two lovely hairdressers who go into care homes to do residents' hair. A gym area, a cinema area?
French doors - my relative would be escaping, sorry.

It sounds like a luxury hotel but more like a care home than a nursing home for those who require a high level of care.

I was impressed by the staff shown in Ed's documentary but didn't think the building itself was really suitable.

We have a place nearby, it has bungalows for elderly people who are independent but want some help on hand and people buy these, sheltered flats which have more support and are rented and a care home. There is a cafe, hairdressers and a gym but no cinema. The set up is meant to provide a pathway to care, you can move in when you don't need much support but if you need more you move into the flats or eventually the care home which has different areas depending on the care level required. The nice thing is that you are somewhere familiar with staff you know. It seems like a good idea to me.

I imagine it is expensive but I don't know.

Yes, there is a similar to that village near us, theworriedwell. It's not cheap!

However, I was talking about people who need a higher level of care such as those shown in Ed Balls's report.

Grammar, sorry, one eye on The Repair Shop

Calistemon

Yes, there is a similar to that village near us, theworriedwell. It's not cheap!

However, I was talking about people who need a higher level of care such as those shown in Ed Balls's report.

This place does take people who need higher level of care, they provide for a whole spectrum. I can see the benefits but I wouldn't want to buy a bungalow there myself, I like living where there are a mix of people.

Difficult watching but an excellent programme and the case was very well put forward by Ed Balls. Really respect him for walking the walk and seeing just how it all makes you feel. Well done Ed.

Yes, it can, if someone has the funds. I doubt that the majority do have that much money, though. - I got the funds by selling my home!!!

I agree that some homes that look very scruffy can be good - one of the best homes that I used to use for my clients was very rough and ready, but the atmosphere was good and warm and loving. Needless to say the LA found some excuse to close them down - they did not tick the boxes in spite of the fact that everyone there was happy - very happy. The lady who ran it was very easy-going and went out of her way to make sure people were happy - one resident loved gardening and she just let him loose on the garden - he hadn't got a clue what he was doing and he would move plants around time and again - but he was happy so she left him to it!

That's lovely.
I used to do gardening, cooking, crafts, and dancing when I was the activity coordinator in my last job (I had no idea what I was doing either!)
We did have fun though.

I also picked up the metro newspaper to take in (loads of them) and we would discuss the news, then later on have a go at the crossword.
Then we did quizzes, or bingo (they loved it; I hated it!)
and I did a book club corner in one of the lounges.
A lot of it was free stuff, but I loved doing it - it really enriched their lives.

Yes, it can, if someone has the funds. I doubt that the majority do have that much money, though. - I got the funds by selling my home!!!

Not everyone has a home they can sell and even if they do, it may not be worth enough to pay for more than a few months.
And what happens to the spouse if the family home is sold?

I don't want to argue with you, Luckygirl as I know how hard and distressing it was for you, but most people just don't have enough wealth to find, for example, £75,000 per annum for a good, not luxurious, care home for their family member, however much they love them and want the best for them.

This is why the whole system needs a huge overhaul.

MissAdventure - such a valuable job. My OH was able to join in some of these things and it really enhanced his life, and all the other residents'.

I absolutely loved that job, but it was too much.
Manicures, foot massages, knitting squares to make blankets for cats.
I got a petting zoo to come, once.
I bet they were pleased to see the back of me!!!

My Sis-IL would love you, MissAdventure, especially if you danced.

You are worth your weight in gold!

Such a very good programme highlighting what we all suspected ....care workers do a wonderful job and IF you can afford it, a good care home would be ideal ....but not many can afford it, the same applies to 'retirement villages and retirement apartments' ....very very very expensive (some new build flats near me are selling FROM £400,000 .....ha ha ...the average house price round here would be less than £250,000 and when you buy them, they immediately depreciate in value and have extremely high service/maintenance/ground rent / charges and will not sell ! much better would be for the government to put housing for the elderly as a priority ....thus releasing those homes from 'old people rattling round in big houses'....if there were more affordable options for the elderly it would be fantastic ....but all MPs of whatever persuasion have always turned a blind eye to the increasing problem .....I suspect that any day soon an offer of a £12,000 voucher to Dignitas will be offered to anyone over 60 ........personally I am with others on here and I belong to EXIT international ......but sometimes the North Sea looks inviting ...........No Country for Old Men (or women come to that !.....disgraceful in the 21st century .....could use all the empty shops and offices where I live as workhouses .....they haven't suggested that yet, but its only a matter of time. As Leonard Cohen said 'Excuse me for living'

I used to do residents meetings so they could air their views, and make sure they were listened to, as well.
2 trips out a week, and walks and bits and bobs in between.
We used to do Indian belly dancing every fortnight, and I made some excellent posters and little invite letters to put on their tables at breakfast time.
One of me, 75 of them, though.

And I was the dignity ambassador, which meant I checked up on the staff to ensure all was in order. (All for less per hour than the staff earned!)

We used to do Indian belly dancing every fortnight
I doubt anyone would want to see mine with a jewel in my navel
???

I was incredibly shy about that kind of thing, but that's a lovely part of care work.
All my usual suspects would come and hold my hand so I could help them, and they helped me, too.
You forget about all that when you're in the moment. Almost!