Care workers....

[d9f1c7]

http://www.express.co.uk/home
Is it a requirement on that you must be a cruel sadistice lowlife to enter the profession? Time and again we here of vulnerable people being abised by these bullying savages. Is the system "broken"? What can be done?

[d9f1c7]

OK typos acknolwdged, I just bashed it out, I know it's should be hear not here and no Idea how the "on" slipped in there!

[sandyRoe]

Better training and pay for the workers might help. But no amount of training could change the behaviour of someone who thinks it's OK to hit a defenceless old woman.

[SeaJayPea]

No, of course it's not a requirement. The vast, vast majority of care workers are good, hard-working and caring people. There are thousands of them out there doing a damned good job. The only reason we hear about these instances is because they are comparitively rare.

[sp1814]

Perhaps a licencing system (mandatory) needs to established. To becomes a care worker, you must undertake a form of basic training, and you cannot have a criminal record.

Training would have to be taken every five years or so.

Failure would result in the loss of licence.

Also, companies that employ care workers who do not have a licence, or who are found guilty of mistreating those in their care should be found jointly liable both in civil and criminal court...that would soon focus their minds on getting rid of the bad apples.

[SeaJayPea]

"comparatively"

[Zeuhl]

The problem seems to be that these patients (dementia) are extremely vulnerable and unable to communicate their abuse to others.

Sadly, no amount of screening, training, inspection or licensing will prevent any care worker (other than the most saintly) having a 'bad day' and taking it out on a patient.

This is enabled by care workers working (often alone) with patients in private rooms where there are no witnesses. Much of the currently reported abuse would not happen on an open ward.

Only greater supervision can ultimately protect these most vulnerable of patients

[Kiki-frog]

I agree, Zeuhl, and that's the problem. Short of cctv in every room, how can we be sure this does not go in the best of care homes.

My mother spent her last year in a care home and I'm sure that the care she received was superb. But then I read stories like this where a care home has the most glowing recommendations, and yet....

[ValWoodley]

In defence of care workers some of the patients can be difficult to deal with.
Yesterday when I visited the home my father started hitting another visitor for no reason.
Myself and another visitor and a carer had to restrain him and if somebody had walked in at that point it may have not looked good.
Another resident said I had stolen his money at a time I was not there and in any case the relative said there was no missng money.
When I arrive Dad always expects to go for a walk around the garden and kicks up a fuss if he does not. The only way I can stop him is by putting him out in the rain for a minute which may not look good to an outsider.
Oddly enough a few days ago my father was complaining that one of the carers had not turned the rain off.

Val

[pdq1]

I feel sorry for care workers. Those in the private sector get only 1/3rd for the job, the other 2/3rds go to the agency. I know this because an invoice was inadvertingly posted and the care worker picked up on it.

[chaptazbru]

I have to be honest here, if that was my beloved Mum being manhandled by that piece of filth, I would be round at that 'care' home in a flash and I would ensure that he never hurt an elderly person ever again and yes, I'd take the consequences. And all he's got is an 18 month sentence and he will be out well before that. The programme on TV tonight will make harrowing viewing.

[Zeuhl]

chapta

Better make sure you have 24/7 cctv monitoring of her room then if retaliation with violence is your sole strategy

[boxtops]

This is far and away the exception, d9 - most care workers are hard worked and many underpaid, and mental health's a beast of an area to work in - but as yet, there is no requirement for registration for care assistants (or healthcare assistants, come to that) so they have no regulatory body. Some care home owners, IMO, are not on site often enough, more's the pity. You get sadists in every walk of life - this shouldn't be one of them.

[chaptazbru]

But zheul he would be able to defend himself, the elderly cannot. And like I said I'd take the conseuqences, so don't give a stuff if it was filmed !!!

[Zeuhl]

chapta

I think you missed the point

but never mind :-)

[bundleone]

Most homes are very short staffed, there should be two carers working together on difficult patients,My daugher is a manager of a care home and is not allowed to take on any more staff even though some have left, there has to be a meeting with the owners so her hands are tied.agency staff do not get to know the patients,it,s all very well blaming the manager but she can't be everywhere.

[owdhamer]

I am reading alan sugar,s book there is a passage in it where pensioners swop with prisoners read it if you have the chance

[hc4361]

I could not be a care worker - incredibly physically and emotionally demanding work for minimum pay. I don't have the patience or the stomach for it.
I take my hat off to the majority of care workers that do care.

I wish I had the answer. I wouldn't like mandatory webcams in all rooms. Everybody deserves privacy and dignity.

[welshlibranr]

think this problem started when care became privatised, we didn't hear of it before then!......when we had carers from local Social Services things were very different, I am not saying that all carers these days are bad, far from it, most are really good, but there isn't the training given nowadays, and the pay is low, and so you will find that you get bad apples in the barrel sadly!............

[Kassee]

I thought it was an absolute disgrace. The care home has a duty of care and I thought they should be sued for failing in their duty of care. If homes were sued more often for failure to provide care, in fact elderly people being physically and mentally abused, then they would have to close, and only the best homes would remain.

It is ridiculous to say "everyone has an off day". This bloke was an evil bully and should never have stepped foot into any "caring" profession.

If we can't protect our elderly, then we can't protect our young either (many in nurseries and day care centres) and we can't protect the disabled or mentally ill. We are a sick society indeed to allow this to happen.

[ummmm]

Watched Panorama and it made me sob.

How could anyone treat another human being like that?

Personally. I'd hunt them down.