why do we treat people this way

[emmie]

having witnessed the levels of care, or should one say lack of care, why does this happen in our society. And as some have pointed out on AB, we seem to feel more for pets, animals, than our elderly folk.

http://www.telegraph....ers-says-inquiry.html

[emmie]

i confess that i am at a loss as to what happens to us when we get old..

[Old_Geezer]

The elderly don't sit and purr on your lap.

But yes, I don't understand care professions that are regularly sown to be anything but. We trust those in the profession and yet there seems to be too many lapses uncovered. Is it a regulation issue maybe ?

[Old_Geezer]

Many of the elderly are also at a loss. I fel I'm heading that way far too quickly :-(

[emmie]

there seems to me, and having been caught up so to speak within the care industry on behalf of a number of relatives, and having listened to people who have worked in care homes, that many are unregulated, and the staff get only a bare minimum of training, where the wages are not good. How can that possibly be right.

[woofgang]

To be fair, my experience is that people who care about animals also care about people and people who don't care about animals....I mean who are callous not just indifferent....don't care about people either.

[Old_Geezer]

Have to say I was concerned about the way my grandmother used to be treated in a well known chain of care homes, although visitors don't have a good view of what goes on really, and may get a distorted impression. But the generation before me in the family seems ok with them.

[emmie]

i have heard so many scare stories, many true i expect, from those who worked in the business. And seeing how I and various relatives were treated in hospital, can say that you wouldn't, or shouldn't treat a dog like this, let alone the elderly, vulnerable

[RATTER15]

I totally agree, I think a large part of the problem is down to money. So many carers are on minimum wage, they will often come into care work simply because they cant get a job elsewhere and have no interest in their work its just a wage at the end of the day. This often means that we get a lot of people doing care work that I wouldn't trust to be alone with any member of my family. We do however have some really good carers as well. I would love to be paid more but it just wont be happening soon. I get fed up with knocking my head against a brick wall constantly fighting for the rights of the people I look after, many of these rights are ignored on financial grounds.

This is why I am looking into going into the private care field so that I am responsible for the care I give and it wont be dictated by money! Money isn't the be all and end all like many people seem to think and live their lives accordingly

[emmie]

Ratter i know, and having seen the lack of care when a relative was in hospital, and the sheer apathy when asking simple questions, you could bang your head to no avail. She did have some carers afterwards, but i can't say i was impressed with most, and as to the health and safety angle, meant she couldn't get the simplest things done at home, without a long long wait, and the endless so called necessary form filling.

[RATTER15]

We have carers in 4 times a day to look after my Mother in Law to be, she is 95 and bed bound, She gets excellent care by these girls but I make sure that she receives excellent care, all her carers know that I am A Senior Carer and I know far more about their job than they do, we do have a really good bunch of carers in general.

[dzug2]

But the money argument is two sided. Yes, care assistants and the like are ill paid

But the rest of us collectively cannot afford (or do not want to afford) to pay the care home fees or taxes necessary to pay them any more. And we'll vote out any government that tries to get us to pay more.

And ratter whatever you say you will be influenced by money. You may be willing to accept less than some but ultimately you will go bankrupt or starve if you don't have enough income (in whatever form) to keep going.

[emmie]

i wonder if many have any idea of the cost of these care homes, to keep one resident, the fees charged are often astronomical, i can never understand how you get away with charging £500 a week, or more for one person, especially if the level of care isn't up to scratch. I know of one place that charges a grand a week, and it isn't anything special.

[ummmm]

My Grandad pays for both his and my nans care homes out of his own pocket. £1,200 ish a week...

[RATTER15]

dzug, I didn't say that I would work for a pittance, I can charge over twice as much in the private sector to what i'm receiving now, the client would be paying less and the service would be first class and delivered by someone that actually cares and is well trained and experienced.

[RATTER15]

Where I work we charge between £350 and £550 a week depending on the room and the amount of care that person requires.

[Ankou]

"people who care about animals also care about people and people who don't care about animals........don't care about people either"

agreed

[notasyoungasiwas]

We feel more for pets, animals em, try telling that to the little dog who was dragged behind a speeding porsche, the elephants beaten and forced to perfom degrading and cruel tricks every day in circuses around the world, dogs, cats and rabbits skinned alive in China for their fur, my lovely gentle dog neglected for the first SIX years of his life iuntil I found him etc etc etc. As a race we wreak havoc on the vulnerable and that includes the elderly. I dread getting old and incapable.

[Davethedog]

Care helpers are paid minimum, care in huge part is in private hands.

I know that if you cannot get a job, a private health care company will take you on to "care" the companies may say this and that, but no refs as long as you are available your in. No qualification and anyone who is good enough is gone A.S.A.P

[craft1948]

You only have to look at the abuse I get on here..............

[Zeuhl]

<<i can never understand how you get away with charging £500 a week, or more for one person>>

I've never thought of running a care home but the maths for a week must be reasonably straight forward:

rent furnished room plus access to communal areas £100
share of utilities £30
meals £200

That's £330 for a start

support staff could add a lot more
even just a half share of one person on minimum wage plus cost of employment is going to add around £150

that's without allowing for 24 hour care, specialist care etc