Ed Balls Crisis in Care.

Yes, we watched the programme and it was quite distressing. As several people have said, it made you dread getting to the stage where you would need to go into a care home.

And we had a church service every week, the mobile library, and children from a nearby nursery in to join in with crafts.

The point being, that none of it cost much, and it wasn't an overly posh place, and most were council funded residents.
It just takes a bit of imagination to give people as good a quality of life as you can.

But I bet you didn't get paid what you are obviously worth.

It's not a skilled job, so no, the pay was probably the lowest I've earned for a long time.
I still had to have all the mandatory training.
Activity wise, anybody could do it.

Soroptimum

Excellent if not depressing programme. Such a broken system and no real solution in sight. Ed Balls was great, his communication skills were in evidence as he genuinely cared for the elderly residents.
I agree with dragonfly46, but don’t want to get political

"I agree with dragonfly46, but don’t want to get political"

... but, it is a political issue. The social care crisis didn't just happen organically.

Austerity with its cuts to public spending and concomitant privatisation of public services is the benchmark of Conservative ideology. Whether you agree with it or not, it is a fact.

It doesn't matter which side of the fence you sit on, you cannot detach social care from the political arena. It's a question of how you think it should be funded, and your 'politics' will dictate the line you take.

And there's nothing wrong with being 'political'. Politics governs most aspects of our lives - we need to be involved with the process rather than disengage from it. That's why we have universal suffrage.

I'm not on any social media and don't want to be. No mention on it shouldn't mean no impact.
Not seen the programme yet. My Mum was in a home for 4 years but it was awful. I remember one visit - my Mum was at the end of a very long corridor - as I went in the entrance I could hear my Mum shouting "Help me, help me please" there were no staff in sight all the way to Mums room and I then had to go searching for someone. It's heartbreaking.
Until we can get proper funding and investment in the care sector there will always be a lot of companies that are just in it for the money. I know there are dedicated staff in some of them and they should be better rewarded for a difficult job.
I just dread ending up in one - I was there to fight for Mums corner , there's no one to do that for me.

I am a carer both unpaid looking after my Mother at home and as a professional, working in a Care Home for the Elderly. The programme was very close to home for me. The problem of carers leaving the profession is not confined to England - it is countrywide. Wages paid are not brilliant - Even with required qualifications. Give carers their due - their job is one of the most rewarding - it is also one of the most menial. I will leave the nitty gritty to your imaginations. I have done the job for 12 years and am now a Senior Carer. Ed Balls has opened a door that few of us have entered - except as a carer - paid and unpaid.

grannysyb i agree with you 100% and thank you Annaram1

for this very important information

I have been so touched reading the responses to this post. My heart breaks for those who have had bad experiences and those who are currently either trying to access care or live in fear they may have to in the future.
Lots has been said about activities in care homes.
I was an activities coordinator in one home and frequently supported residents in another.
It's a funny job that also involves weekends but not usually 12hour shifts. It can also involve managing the activities budget,organising outside entertainers and trips etc as well as planning and engaging residents with activities. That's no mean feat when you have a diverse group of residents who in the outside world would probably never meet each other!
My actual activities job was in a rather nice home although part of a chain. All the residents had capacity. The head of activities was very good at organising a " bit of a do" but hadnt a clue about engaging activities that residents could actually do. She was very good at jewellery making but many of the residents had difficulty with fine motor skills/ sight loss. Often it was a pointless afternoon with the residents sat around a table watching her. I was more into crafts that they could get a sense of achievement out of that you could adapt!
Probably one of the most meaningful activities are resident committees where residents can express concerns and requests and have these answered and addressed. Sadly I have yet to see this ever effectively done even though research has proven that it can vastly improve wellbeing as it gives individuals a sense of control and belonging.
I think the lack of control / dignity/ power is what we all fear. A good carer ,even under pressure will respect this.
Music is amazing,especially with those with dementia.
I think the thing that surprised me most about watching the programme was how much I missed being in that environment. I'm currently on a temporary contract with the civil service,if it's made permanent I would be foolish to turn it down. If it does end I expect I will return to care in some form.!

A horse came to visit my OH's nursing home! And some owls - I have a lovely photo of him stroking an owl and he was absolutely entranced!

dragonfly46

I often think Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper should run the country!

Yes i think so too. Such an honest and compassion pair. Unlike the fool we have supposedly running the country.

Luckygirl

A horse came to visit my OH's nursing home! And some owls - I have a lovely photo of him stroking an owl and he was absolutely entranced!

At the home where my relative lives they have a pet's corner and residents can help with their care or just sit and stroke them. A variety of small furry animals. At the company where I worked the homes had a variety of animals.

I was thinking about the Elvis thing. At the company I used to work at we had a big "do" a very serious member of staff did an Elvis impression. It was the big hit of the night, I think because it was such a surprise to see him in a very different light.

For me the most excrutiating thing was a bingo night and the thing I enjoyed most was choir with a very good pianist who encouraged us all. I've always had a hang up about singing as was criticised at school and it was like therapy for me. I've also enjoyed some theatre trips where I've seen things I probably (definitely) wouldn't have booked myself but thoroughly enjoyed. I would never go to a panto though, hate them.

Now I can enjoy a game of bingo, but being expected to sing with other people is torture for me.
(Even my son said, "Mummy stop it" and put his hand over my mouth when he was small ?)

I was very impressed with the staff, and Ed Balls. I'm looking forward to the next episode, care in the community, as I did that for two years. What an eye-opening experience that was!

It was an excellent programme. Ed Balls is an knowledgeable, intelligent thoughtful person. I have enjoyed him on Strictly, and on the Celebrity best home cook program and now a serious one on care.

He is the salt of the earth. It would be great if there were more people like him.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Balls

Forgot more about him on wikipedia.

I just watched it as I’d recorded it. If I could have my way every politician in this God forsaken country would be made to watch it. Maybe then they’d actually do something useful and address the problems within the care sector instead of coining it in doing consultancy work or just generally being corrupt and looking after their own interests.
Hats off to everyone who works in care, they are truly heroes in my opinion.

V3ra

Now I can enjoy a game of bingo, but being expected to sing with other people is torture for me.
(Even my son said, "Mummy stop it" and put his hand over my mouth when he was small ?)

I was very impressed with the staff, and Ed Balls. I'm looking forward to the next episode, care in the community, as I did that for two years. What an eye-opening experience that was!

That's the thing isn't it, we all like different things and it is only fair the home caters for that.

I said exactly the same about no bed rails up, I couldn’t get my head around it, I work in care and every fall a person has can have a big knock on affect I couldn’t believe how many times he had fallen out of bed poor chap, a crash mat and sensor mat to me is not a preventative.

Phina

I said exactly the same about no bed rails up, I couldn’t get my head around it, I work in care and every fall a person has can have a big knock on affect I couldn’t believe how many times he had fallen out of bed poor chap, a crash mat and sensor mat to me is not a preventative.

Apparently it is against the person's human rights to use bed rails.
A relative of mine who has dementia and is in a very caring nursing home fell out of bed and was taken to hospital. When I asked about bed rails to prevent further falls that is what I was told, or that the person could injure themselves if they got tangled in the rails.

It sounds ridiculous but the staff are not allowed to use common sense sometimes.

I remember being very struck when visiting my MiL in a palliative care ward, by a number of the beds having been lowered to the floor. A nurse told me it was to prevent patients falling out of bed.
I agree with previous posters re disparity of residents. In my ward volunteer role I'm always struck by the very different personalities and life experiences of the people I'm meeting. One size of activity does not fit all. Similarly, we're told to try to involve patients in craft activities but it's almost impossible to organise the right glasses and clear away the vital items on their tray tables even if they were remotely interested in the craft/games.
Ed Balls programme was very interesting but not surprising. I doubt any care home is making a profit these days.

If there is no profit then why would private company's run these homes. I worked in this area and the owners of the homes I visited fir work, as well as the home where my mother was, all lived a lavish life style with big houses, expensive cars and exotic holidays. Those paying full rate paid were subsidising those financed by local authorities. Surely this cannot be fair.
When residential and nursing homes of all sorts which include all children’s homes, were sold to private individuals or companies, it was the start of the decline both fir the staff and residents.

I remember being very struck when visiting my MiL in a palliative care ward, by a number of the beds having been lowered to the floor. A nurse told me it was to prevent patients falling out of bed.
I remember seeing patients in a geriatric ward in hospital on mattresses on the floor when visiting my MIL years ago. It must be very difficult for the nurses - no wonder they get bad backs!

Callistemon the lowered beds in my MiL's ward were automatically raisable. My friend who was then a nurse manager told me they were very expensive but necessary. The beds could be easily raised and there were lots of hoists. Nurses' backs were seen as vital to protect. Quite right too!

This was very many years ago, Aveline and MIL pointed out an acquaintance of hers and another patient who were lying on mattresses on the floor.
MIL complained to us that they'd put her in a ward with a lot of old people (she was about 82 at the time).

Those beds sound ideal but I'm not surprised they are expensive.