Does anybody care about the elderly people?

Question

I am a care worker. Today I have been on an early shift. One of my clients had slept in her glasses, earing-aid and denture. The problem with this lady is that she had had an ulcer due the fact she would sleep in her earing-aid. I have reported on this many times, but the managment team would simply not listen to me. Another client has complain about cold today, for he had been woken up in the morning only to be left in his shirt (no socks on either) in the middle of the lounge (today I have had to put socks on everybody). And Mr. Thomas, another resident, has slept in his last night's dirty underpants (the clean ones had been left kicked to the side in his bed but one of the Home's managers had told me not to put it down in the report). I am scared, really, and I really do not know what to do. Though I am a first degree holder in Philosophy, I would not ask for qualifications in order to do this kind of job, but I do think a Home manager should have some kind of qualifications.

Sorry about the shorthand, but I have been given 1000 characters to work with.

I live in the UK

Answer 1

It kind of strange that a person could take a permanent cruise for close to the same price as living in a nursing home but on the cruise the care and food are both better. You need to report these abusive and cowardly caretakers to whatever state you live in. My mother used to work as a CNA she hated the way the people were treated or even worse ignored. Don't stand by and watch this happen. It could be you someday.

Answer 2

I know exactly how you feel i worked in a nursing home, they have many homes this large company and have been i news papers for having bad reports by the care commission. i actually left the job because i reported so many time the the residents were not being looked after properly and feed a lot of rubbish due to a the budget, they had no stimulation through activity meaning the condition deteriorates quicker (just my opinion).There were a lot of foreign worker that couldn't speak proper English. I ended up leaving and reporting to the care commission what was happening but some how they always manage to cover up what is really happening, the minute the care commission come in to the building everyone tell each other there hear and the big ACT goes on. i no this is not the case in all homes as i am now a student nurse and do see good care and practise but i a lot of cases the care is not as it should be. i personally wouldn't like any member of my family to go in to the home in which i worked or any of the other one owned by this large company.

Answer 3

I visit old ladies , some in homes and some still at home, and it is quite horrifying to see them slipping downhill once they have reached a certain age. I try to give an hour a day to one, and I visit the others weekly. I am not a carer. I just want to give back something to society and the generation before mine. I too have a Ph D and my qualifications are no help at all. One of my neighbours who is eighty had to call me for help as nobody cared to move and help when she fell on her path and needed first aid. I tried to get a doctor , a paramedic or a qualified nurse to come and I could not get anyone to assist.. This is a lady who had a stroke in the past and can barely walk. In the care homes I have seen ladies requesting to be helped to go to the toilet and the carers saying "I will come in a minute" but come half an hour later when it is too late and the old person has been sittting in their own excreta because of them. As for hospitals, the geriatic wards defy belief... But who do you complain to? One is afraid to make things worse for the old person who tells you of horror stories, once your back is turned. In the end, I do not think it is a matter of qualifications. it is a matter of having the right attitude as a carer. There are not enough people like you, who genuinely care. When I go to the care homes, I see human beings that have become repulsive through old age and I accept that caring for them is a gruelling task. There are good homes and there are bad ones. The one where you work obviously takes on staff that do the work for a living, not because they care. Is there a way whereby you could alert the authorities? an external auditor can help turn things round more easily than a member of staff. Doing so anonymously does not carry a lot of weight, but if there are one or two other persons who work there and endorse your observations, your information would carry more weight.

Answer 4

OMG, if I were you I would definitley report all and everything that does not appear correct. My mother who is 92 on 25/12 lives with us and has done since 1989, we would not have it any other way, this last year she has developed both Parkinsons and Alzheimers, she will not be going into any nursing home, there are so many bad reports about the quality of care they receive. Surely these elderly people deserve to be treated with dignity and receive the best care, therefore checks should be made on the caring staff and Home managers, to ensure that they themselves are capable of giving the care that is necessary.

Answer 5

You could complain to your local Health Authority. They are the ones who have a duty to inspect Care Homes and Units for the Elderly, and should be able to conduct an unannouced visit to the Home at any time.

In the meantime, perhaps you could inspire your colleagues to pay a little more attention to the people they look after.

The sort of things you describe don't so much sound like negligence as sloppiness and laziness on the part of the staff.

Answer 6

I think it might depend how much you need your job.
Care home management in most cases are only interested in providing care for the minimum of outlay . They could not care to much about the dignity of their old people in their care .
Just look at this illiterate Governments record on ,Care for the elderly ,They do not give a damn.The only thing they are good for is SPIN, SPIN, and even more meaningless spin .
If you are not too dependant on your present job
report what you have seen to the Age concern office
or to a local paper ,and try and get some photos to back up your concerns.Good luck to you ,you will certainly need-it

Answer 7

What all these so-called care givers miss is that what goes around comes around. In other words they to will be old some day. If they are unfortunate enough the same things will happen to them. You have it right. Report each and every violation. Document everything. If a member of the elders family chooses to sue, testify. May the Lord bless and keep you for you are doing his work here on earth.

Answer 8

You need to report this facility to the proper authority's. Someone needs to look out for these people, You seem to care about the health and welfare of the residents of this facility. so even if you didn't want the job of protector you've been drafted.
the families of these elderly folk have placed a lot of trust in these people no doubt paying quite a chunk of change to insure that the
person is well taken care of.
So you are afraid how do you think these people feel having so little control over what happens in their lives only to be neglected
by those entrusted with their care. as for falsifying a report in your line of work I may be mistaken but I think thats called a felony.

Answer 9

My mother is in a Nursing Home she is 75 and had a stroke 2 years ago and can't take care of herself, paralysed down left side also left side of brain is affected, we visit her regularly and unable to look after her ourselves as I and my wife are both disabled, If my mother was treated like that I would report the staff for negligence, the staff in her home are tremendous and they have said that they think of the residence as people like their own parents and they should have some dignity, the residents you are looking after are being neglected and you should report them, you could do it anonymously if you are afraid to lose you're job, but this treatment is obviously eating into you and you know that it is wrong to treat people this way.

Answer 10

Reading this kind of stuff really upsets me, we forget that we owe a great debt to the elderly, we also forget that we will all be elderly one day too. It is scary to read that people who are being paid to look after the elderly can be so neglectful. It amounts to nothing less then abuse.

It is not up to other people to tell you what you should do in this situation, you must let your conscience guide you. I can say that if it was me I would report it. I would like to think that if I were in such a home and being treated so badly that someone would stand up for me. Also I would hate to think of my parents being abused in such a manner.

If children were being treated like this we would be outraged!

Best of luck with whatever you decide, people like you can make a difference!!!