Facebook and Care Homes.

For some reason so many people seem biased against care homes It's unlikely they wouldn't get permission for photos of residents Some decent people work in care homes and a few not But that's the same in hospitals and hospices and nurses Old people can be very manipulative but there word is often taken rather than a carers because carers are low paid and not given a decent training because they are just carers it's not an easy job

I agree with OP, this is a worrying trend. OK you may have the resident's permission but quite a lot of them won't have competency to give consent, that's why they need residential care.

It just seems like commoditisation of old people, using them to advertise a business that they call their home. Most people of my generation regard home as somewhere safe from the gaze of the world. So should their homes in residential care be, as far as practicable.
As a guarantee of the home's reputability, photos selected & posted by the home are nearly worthless. Much better to do a couple of personal visits.

TakeThat7

For some reason so many people seem biased against care homes It's unlikely they wouldn't get permission for photos of residents Some decent people work in care homes and a few not But that's the same in hospitals and hospices and nurses Old people can be very manipulative but there word is often taken rather than a carers because carers are low paid and not given a decent training because they are just carers it's not an easy job

I have great respect for people who work in care homes. Poor pay, long hours and hard work. Obviously some workers get on with residents better than others but over all they do a great job.

All the staff in Mum’s care homes were lovely and so kind to Mum and in her final days they were wonderful and read to her, played gentle music and kept her looking beautiful.

Apple3pie I feel its exploitative and using the pictures to advertise the care home.
No criticism is being levelled at the care staff but perhaps at the management.

Apple3pie

Mojack26
sodapop

I can't see what is so undignified, degrading or embarrassing about being seen in public as an old/frail person. Why should they be hidden away like they are an embarrassment to their family or society in general? I'm happy for every single person who is having a good time in a care home and wants to show it to the world.

Exactly Apple3pie this is the most eyeopening thread in a long time, so many people living in a world from the 30s/40s I think you need to get out more, life has seriously changed since then thankfully!!

A local day Center near me posts lots of photos and videos of everyone having so much fun I v always thought how lovely it was to see your mum /dad or whoever is having a nice fun time and a general good day
It’s often of them getting a big cake and singing happy birthday or of an entertainer singing to them they all look as if they have a wonderful time.
I would have loved to see my mum having a good time and mum would have loved having her photo taken instead of me constantly wondering if she was happy as she couldn’t tell me Of course there should always be an opt out clause

I didn’t think of myself as - a frail old person because I live in a nursing home, how nasty can GransNet get ?

CariadAgain

Mixed feelings. There are some dire ones around and I know it's proven difficult to get a normal website with a selection of photos of the interior up on some of them and that makes me suspicious that they are amongst the dire ones. Sometimes one can tell by the charge - ie where I live now I've been gobsmacked to see some charging around £500 per week (as I know that will mean dire to start with - given it's my understanding that decent ones are more likely to charge £1,000 or more a week) - but yep....one needs a looksee to help assess standards.

So I would tend to think it's a safeguard for the residents for a selection of photos to be shown - so the surroundings can be assessed, one can maybe pick up clues how the residents are treated, etc.

When someone had to choose a nursing home for my father back in 2020 (just prior to that Lockdown as it turned out in the event) I wanted all the info I could get from afar to help suss them out (and that included photos). One could tell quite a lot just by literally viewing and, when I went back to see the ones that remained on my list after sussing out online as far as possible = one got ruled out instantly literally as I walked down the drive and looking inside revealed I couldnt spot a sign of any of the residents and there was just one apologetic-looking member of staff to be seen (I think she knew I'd decided against before I even walked in the front door).

£500 a week is an utter bargain, I’ve had a friend recently go into care and it’s £1800 a week (Wiltshire)

I just looked at the FB page for a care home we considered for my mother before a nursing home became inevitable. The FB page is full of the sort of photographs described in the original post. I am appalled that these images of vulnerable elderly people are public, for the whole world to see. Even if the residents/relatives consented I wonder if they were aware of the full implications. My mother's nursing home put photos in an internal newsletter circulated to residents and relatives only. We shared our own images privately with other relatives. I am surprised that the CQC do not pay more attention to this.

All the photos and films I’ve seen are of people having fun too.

I really dislike the idea of people being hidden away and not being seen

DeeAitch56

CariadAgain

Mixed feelings. There are some dire ones around and I know it's proven difficult to get a normal website with a selection of photos of the interior up on some of them and that makes me suspicious that they are amongst the dire ones. Sometimes one can tell by the charge - ie where I live now I've been gobsmacked to see some charging around £500 per week (as I know that will mean dire to start with - given it's my understanding that decent ones are more likely to charge £1,000 or more a week) - but yep....one needs a looksee to help assess standards.

So I would tend to think it's a safeguard for the residents for a selection of photos to be shown - so the surroundings can be assessed, one can maybe pick up clues how the residents are treated, etc.

When someone had to choose a nursing home for my father back in 2020 (just prior to that Lockdown as it turned out in the event) I wanted all the info I could get from afar to help suss them out (and that included photos). One could tell quite a lot just by literally viewing and, when I went back to see the ones that remained on my list after sussing out online as far as possible = one got ruled out instantly literally as I walked down the drive and looking inside revealed I couldnt spot a sign of any of the residents and there was just one apologetic-looking member of staff to be seen (I think she knew I'd decided against before I even walked in the front door).

£500 a week is an utter bargain, I’ve had a friend recently go into care and it’s £1800 a week (Wiltshire)

I was utterly gobsmacked at the prices of a couple I've seen here. But the first time I noticed an incredibly low price (ie I was checking what the place was like my first next door neighbour went to) it was DIRE and I was there thinking "Not even an en suite bathroom!" and the whole place looked "dejected" is the first word that came to mind. I was not overall surprised to see a lower standard than where my mothers mother went come the end (as I'm used to mentally gutting a lot of houses I see for sale here). My grandmothers carehome had the en suite bathroom/bring your own furniture/generally clean and modern feeling/mini library next door/doctors surgery next door and even a function room where we held the wake come the end (and the two senior staff were attendees at that). The one here was a world of difference to what my grandmother had had (like equating to a 1 star hotel compared to a 4 star hotel basically). Downgraded a star because it was instant coffee we got served as visitors - and Society was already pretty well into the "coffee is Real" era. I remember that because my mother told me off (!) for not drinking any more after the first sip and she drank the rest of that too to hide the fact I'd not had any more after realising that...

Anniebach

I didn’t think of myself as - a frail old person because I live in a nursing home, how nasty can GransNet get ?

Thats great. I hope it is a nice home and you are happy. I think the idea that we should be hidden at a certain age is insulting. Do people get stressed if a school publishes photos of children or a sports club posts pictures of an event? The same rules apply people give consent or decline.
Is it really so shameful and humiliating to be old,?

Thank you the worriedwell I chose to move to a nursing home after 4 years of drinking 4 bottles of liquid meals per day, I have rheumatoid arthritis affecting every joint, couldn’t prepare food for myself. I certainly made the right choice.
I choose what I eat, what time I want to get up for breakfast, my room has patio doors and the gardener plants what I choose. This year I decided to celebrate my birthday in a local pub, no hiding away from the world, no photographs are taken,
The staff are great, so caring.

It is actually something bigger than just being ‘old’ it is about peoples ‘normal’

Unfortunately people become ill and disabled all the time. Why should they be hidden from view? Unless they want to be, obviously.

I remember when my friend was dying and people just stopped visiting because “it was too upsetting” yep, it was upsetting but you don’t stop visiting

Annie, I’m glad you are happy

My DM (dementia) was in her care home for very nearly 8 years before she died, and I certainly wouldn’t have given permission for any photos of her to be used for publicity or advertising.

The fact that she wouldn’t have been aware, or cared, is beside the point. She had formerly been an intensely private person, very careful as to her appearance, so I cared for her. Her former self would have hated anyone but the closest family to witness the very poor old thing she’d become.

I talked to our manager yesterday and she says that for it to happen ( public photography) consent had to be sought.

You would have had the choice Witzend

JaneJudge

Annie, I’m glad you are happy

Me as well, you have made a good decision there Anniebach

I too am so glad to hear that you are happy there anniebach.

However old or frail etc a person becomes
They remain a person.
Never a thing.

Great AnnieBach we often don’t agree on royal family and other contentious issues on here but I ve always thought of you a lot and admired your spirit and I m so glad you’re happy

It never arose with my mum in her home but both she and I would have consented I wouldn’t want her hidden from view she was a sparky lady and had a horrid last few years but pictures of her laughing and enjoying life would have been so welcome

I ve only ever seen lovely photos on FB of them having a good time

Anniebach

Thank you the worriedwell I chose to move to a nursing home after 4 years of drinking 4 bottles of liquid meals per day, I have rheumatoid arthritis affecting every joint, couldn’t prepare food for myself. I certainly made the right choice.
I choose what I eat, what time I want to get up for breakfast, my room has patio doors and the gardener plants what I choose. This year I decided to celebrate my birthday in a local pub, no hiding away from the world, no photographs are taken,
The staff are great, so caring.

Sounds brilliant.

This has reminded me of when I was getting married. A young man in the office was getting married just after me so we would chat about plans. A few weeks before his wedding he said gran had stolen the limelight. He was joking. Gran was in her 90s and had decided to marry another resident in the home. She married a week before him, celebration held at the home with all residents and staff invited along with their families. Photos in the local paper and it looked like a fabulous do.

Lovely story theworriedwell