Yet Another Care Home Rated 'Inadequate'.

My mother was self-financing in a care home until her life savings ran out after 3 years. Then she had to move. It was very upsetting for all concerned so beware of this if a home does not take council funded residents.

I don't think the CQC are worth the money they cost to run. Their inspections are very out of date and when something goes wrong, they are just hopeless. My mother was left at death's door by a mistake the Care Home made. She had to be rushed to hospital and the Care Home gave the ambulance service the wrong information, including who her next of kin was. The hospital insisted that my mother was seen without the true next of kin being with her (me) despite the fact that Mum was semi-conscious and suffering from dementia. Consequently her medical records were wrong too because they took what the ambulance people said unbeknownst to us. We initiated an official complaint with the CQC. They took absolutely no notice to our testimony and despite us explaining how the medical records had been wrong, they decided there was no case to answer because they found that the hospital records backed up the care home's story. It was a complete whitewash. I tried to get the hospital to put the record right but the Doctors just would not come back to me or answer the phone.
My mother's care fees in her new home are £10,500 per month plus the home gets the nursing fees from the Government. I am sorry if anyone is offended but I do resent that Mum is paying approximately 40% more than she should because the Council will not pay the full fees for state assisted clients. On top of that, if I invest the money my Mum got for selling her childhood home, she will be taxed to the hilt on the interest. If, although it is looking unlikely, she dies leaving any of her money, she will be taxed on that too. I'm all for people paying their dues but this seems like daylight robbery.

I am with M0nika on this. Paid the taxes required all my life so that those who need help can get it, and I do not wish to keep paying for those who are unable, for whatever reason, to pay for themselves. As much as I feel sympathetic for those who cannot they are alas simply not my responsibility.

I am not sure I would go as far as you Goldenooldie15. My concern is that the residents of a home taking state aided patients are expected to subsidise the local councils failure to pay fees. The subsidy should either not be expected ot spread over all those in care homes, or all older people.

To single out one (very) small subset of people, just because the care home they chose to move to accepted council financed residents, is deeply unjust.

Unless the area you live is very different to mine, you’ll find it difficult to find a nursing home, as opposed to a residential home, which takes only self funded clients though, they are very few and far between.

Casdon

Unless the area you live is very different to mine, you’ll find it difficult to find a nursing home, as opposed to a residential home, which takes only self funded clients though, they are very few and far between.

Plenty where I am, they are almost like hotels now.

We have some very swanky ones too, with very high fees, but if you delve into who they actually accept, there is only one which is exclusively private. Two thirds of the total clientele of care homes is funded either by local authorities or by the NHS, and the vast majority of homes need the guaranteed income that provides. Many next of kin pay the top up fee to enable their loved one to live there, and other clients are none the wiser.

We had cause to contact the CQC about the care home my sil was in. After several incidents , the final straw was when we enquired about sil's missing dentures. We decided enough was enough and contacted CQC. We heard nothing from CQC. Unknown to us our complaint was taken seriously. A couple of months after our complaint we arrived to collect sil for her final appointment at the dentist to be told that we could come inside to collect sil as the manager and several other staff members had been replaced. What a transformation. Clean carpets, no unpleasant smells, happy residents enjoying activities and music of their era and, very importantly, happy staff.

That's very interesting. Glad things have improved. Your last comment reminded me of a lady I met. She was currently off work and having chemotherapy. She told me she was desperate to get back to work. She worked in a care home and loved it there. She missed the residents and the other staff. Obviously a happy place to work.

Aveline

That's very interesting. Glad things have improved. Your last comment reminded me of a lady I met. She was currently off work and having chemotherapy. She told me she was desperate to get back to work. She worked in a care home and loved it there. She missed the residents and the other staff. Obviously a happy place to work.

And that’s exactly how I feel working in my care home…🤗

One of my carers is retiring next year , she loves working here
and is really sad about leaving

It must be different for different areas, my family have 5 homes for autistic adults, CQC was a nightmare for the first one. I find them really strict. We have a waiting list and the paramedics said it was one of the nicest homes they have ever been to, I felt really proud of my sons when they told me that.

I have been looking at reports of homes in my area just this week.
All the visits were unannounced here.

I bumped into someone at the gym who actually does inspections. She said to me something like "I hope care home x is still going if I ever need care"
It was the way the residents always seemed happy that drew her there.
It wasn't one of the "outstanding: ones, interestingly.

Not sure I pay too much attention to CQC reports. After they’d visited my mother’s very good care home, the staff apologised to me that during the visit they’d taken my mother, who had advanced dementia, to an activity she couldn’t possibly participate in, and certainly couldn’t enjoy - ‘because anyone ‘just sitting’ would mean a black mark. My poor mother was capable of nothing but ‘just sitting’, usually with her eyes closed.
It was a dementia-only care home - you’d think the inspectors would understand what the condition can mean.