Care Home vs Home Care Advice needed please

[LYN T]

Does anyone know who has taken over the CQC? I must have missed that one.

The home my dear mum died in was much better, they were kind to me and my mum but it was also in a different county to the others. I think if the NHS are paying over £800 a week (of taxpayers money) a person has a right to receive a good standard of care, sadly this is, in my experience not always the case.

My opinion is ANY person, whether LA funded, or funded privately,should receive a good standard of care.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[lexy]

Does anyone know who has taken over the CQC? I must have missed that one.

The home my dear mum died in was much better, they were kind to me and my mum but it was also in a different county to the others. I think if the NHS are paying over £800 a week (of taxpayers money) a person has a right to receive a good standard of care, sadly this is, in my experience not always the case.

My opinion is ANY person, whether LA funded, or funded privately,should receive a good standard of care.

Take care

Lyn T

Yes you must have "missed that one" it was on channel 4 news and quite a lot about it on radio 4, , it was a while ago and yes I know care agency staff have also been on the television showing some awful things, that is what I mean about a crisis in care of the elderly. The statistics were printed in the Times, I think sometime ago. I had some not very good care agencies but the last one my mum had was a registered charity who were not in this business for profit, the staff were trained to deal with dementia behaviour.

 

[LYN T]

Yes you must have "missed that one" it was on channel 4 news and quite a lot about it on radio 4, , it was a while ago and yes I know care agency staff have also been on the television showing some awful things, that is what I mean about a crisis in care of the elderly. The statistics were printed in the Times, I think sometime ago. I had some not very good care agencies but the last one my mum had was a registered charity who were not in this business for profit, the staff were trained to deal with dementia behaviour.

Still 'missing that one'

And now I'm confused My Husband's CH had a visit by the CQC in Nov 2013. I read the review. If the CQC has been taken over why is it still called the CQC?

I remember a couple of years ago the CQC came into a load of criticism because the then head of CQC resigned over giving a false report for a hospital?

I've Googled Channel 4 and BBC Radio 4 but can't find anything

Does anyone else know the new organisation that has taken over the CQC.
Even though I trust my Husband's CH I don't like to take my eyes off them for a minute Obviously, I don't have a very trusting nature so I read the reports from the CQC.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[lexy]

Does anyone know who has taken over the CQC? I must have missed that one.

The home my dear mum died in was much better, they were kind to me and my mum but it was also in a different county to the others. I think if the NHS are paying over £800 a week (of taxpayers money) a person has a right to receive a good standard of care, sadly this is, in my experience not always the case.

My opinion is ANY person, whether LA funded, or funded privately,should receive a good standard of care.

Take care

Lyn T

Just to enlighten you about the CQC, Chief Executive Cynthia Bower resigned from her £195.000 yearly salary, she quit following a damning report by the Department of Health into repeated failures in supervision "operational and strategic difficulties" and had challenged "public confidence in its role" The number of inspections had fallen from nearly 7,000 to just over 2,000.

As I said this was a while ago, 2012 I think. I found the report in one of my Daily Telegraph newspapers. Apparently things are slowly improving but according to the government there is still a long way to go.

 

[Saffie]

As far as I am aware, the CQC still stands. What has happened is that the CQC is now the body checking GP surgeries too.

 

[Moonflower]

This is a very hard decision for anyone to make. The care home my mother is in is very good - I would be happy to be there myself if I were to need care.

My mother lived 500 miles from me and would not accept carers coming in to her home - so we had no choice but to opt for a care home.

My friend tried to care for her aunt by using carers visiting - including staying over at night. It was awful, didn't work at all

Different situations need different solutions, but personally I would only attempt care at home if I lived near the person needing care and had the time and energy to fill in the gaps in the care provision.

 

[geum123]

Their web site appears to be the same Lin.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us



David Behan took over as Commission's new Chief Executive from Cynthia Bower in 2012.

 

[LYN T]

Just to enlighten you about the CQC, Chief Executive Cynthia Bower resigned from her £195.000 yearly salary, she quit following a damning report by the Department of Health into repeated failures in supervision "operational and strategic difficulties" and had challenged "public confidence in its role" The number of inspections had fallen from nearly 7,000 to just over 2,000.

As I said this was a while ago, 2012 I think. I found the report in one of my Daily Telegraph newspapers. Apparently things are slowly improving but according to the government there is still a long way to go.

Always glad to be enlightened Lexy.

I knew someone had resigned. My memory must be playing tricks I thought it was a bit before 2012-but I'm more than happy to be corrected. Glad there's some improvement though.

Geum and Saffie thanks for your replies to my query. I've really searched the old memory bank (as well as Google) and nothing is coming to the fore.This is really important to know as if anyone has any concerns about CH's we need to know who to contact.I think I will email CQC and see if another organisation has taken over their duties.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[lexy]

Always glad to be enlightened Lexy.

I knew someone had resigned. My memory must be playing tricks I thought it was a bit before 2012-but I'm more than happy to be corrected. Glad there's some improvement though.

Geum and Saffie thanks for your replies to my query. I've really searched the old memory bank (as well as Google) and nothing is coming to the fore.This is really important to know as if anyone has any concerns about CH's we need to know who to contact.I think I will email CQC and see if another organisation has taken over their duties.

Take care

Lyn T

The CQC still exists it just has a different Chief Executive. I was reading about it earlier on and apparently someone from the CQC suggested putting camera,s in care homes to help stop elderly abuse. The Daily Telegraph is quite a good source of information, report today Sat 1st March

"Record number of Care Homes warned over illegally poor standards" I believe it is one in three .

 

[Saffie]

"Record number of Care Homes warned over illegally poor standards"

I am confused - How strange that that report is dated August 2013 but is only in the paper today.

No-one would deny that there is poor care and that there are poor care/nursing homes but the fact is that there are many that are good and to tar them all with the same brush is not only unhelpful for those seeking such a facility, it is also upsetting for others who have no option but to place a relative in a home or have a relative already in a home.
I doubt that anyone would choose for a loved one to go into a home but sometimes, there is no choice in the matter.

 

[jenniferpa]

I'm wondering if people are confusing the current incarnation CQC with the previous incarnation CSCI (Commission for Social Care Inspectorate). I think it was 2009 that the name changed.

 

[Portia]

I wrote a long reply to the first post the other night, but wanted to be careful with my words, by the time I finished I had been logged out...silly me.
What I wanted to say to the original poster was 8 months seemed a long time to be away from home, and, although not happy with the present care home, returning Mum in law to her own house where she may be alone for parts of the day/night needs careful consideration. Remember she has had 24 hr care/company for a long period of time & her home is full of hazards which she has not been around for a while.
It may appear she can dress/toilet/feed herself but I would imagine there has been encouragement /reminders from carers.

I only say this because, despite wanting to go home, we soon discovered my aunt could not lock her doors at night, use her TV or any kitchen appliances safely, make a phone call, or get to the bathroom safely at night. She'd even forgotten how to go up/down the two steps at her front door.
She now is in a dementia care home.
She is well fed, stimulated, hydrated & well cared for. Yes she has had falls, but if she had these falls at home she would have lain undiscovered for hours.
Good luck in whatever you decide is best.

 

[Saffie]

Tony, I do hope this discussion has not deterred you from returning to what is essentially your thread. If you are not happy with the home your mother-in-law is in and wish to care for her at home, I hope you will have your wish granted.

You have obviously thought hard about what this will entail regarding the impact on your life and your mother-in-law's health and well-being and as long as you have the appropriate help and the problem which necessitated your mother-in-law entering a home in the first place is resolved, then all should be well. Good luck.

Edited after reading Portia's post:- I had assumed that Tony's mother-in-law would be living with him.
If returning to a home on her own, that is a quite different matter.

 

[jaymor]

My husband is in a nursing home and has been there for 18 months. Not what I or our children wanted but we were advised by 5 professionals, ( no social worker) who were assessing him that his needs were now far to complex for me to manage at home even with a super duper care package. I had looked after him for 7 years and we had survived three major crises.

We looked at 20+ care homes ( is that fastidious enough) firstly EMI with nursing and then after a further assessment specialist nursing homes for challenging behaviour in dementia.

My husband is in a wonderful nursing home, he receives 24 hour 1:1 care because of his condition. The other 8 men on his unit are now our extended family as are the staff. It is my husband's home now. We are totally satisfied with his care, his book is available to us so I know what he has eaten, where he has been, his medication and how many times he has been to the toilet. There is nothing hidden.

For some months I visited daily ( fastidious enough) at different times so I knew how the home worked and how care was given. Once I was happy I then had a day off a week and now I go every other day. I still watch carefully and luckily have seen nothing to give me a moments concern.

It is not a residential home, it is a dementia home. There are going to be problems but as long as the staff manage them there is not a problem.

For my husband, going into a nursing home has enhanced his life, he is less tormented and manages his difficult times with the help of the attentive staff. Two members of staff have bought a DVD player with their own money for the men so they can have a cinema day once a week. There are several DVD players within the building but not always available at a time they want them. So now the nine men have their own player. Uncaring staff, I don't think so.

Reports on bad care homes are in the news but we are a nation of critics, pity we don't report the good ones too.

So anyone who may be looking for a care home for their loved one, don't despair, there are good ones out there we don't hear much about them. Maybe we should have a thread for those who are happy with care. I take exception to the statement that some of us may have lower standards and accept poor care. Poor care is not acceptable.

And finally, I know there are some awful homes out there, I saw a few of them and sadly there were residents in them but if care is bad then move your relative and then complain as loud as you can.

Rant over,

Jay




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[lexy]

I am confused - How strange that that report is dated August 2013 but is only in the paper today.

No-one would deny that there is poor care and that there are poor care/nursing homes but the fact is that there are many that are good and to tar them all with the same brush is not only unhelpful for those seeking such a facility, it is also upsetting for others who have no option but to place a relative in a home or have a relative already in a home.
I doubt that anyone would choose for a loved one to go into a home but sometimes, there is no choice in the matter.

I was reading another report, the one I meant to mention is dated 20th January 2014

"Care homes have failed in one three inspections since 2010, some remaining open despite failing as many as nine consecutive times"

I disagree with you, I think someone who is thinking of maybe having to put a loved one in a care home needs to be aware to how the care system is failing many elderly people. I would point out to you I have never tarred all care homes with the same brush.

You also made a sweeping statement that there were many "lovely" care homes out there, I am puzzled as to how you could make a statement like this unless you have had many relatives in many of these "lovely" homes, you simply would not know. I do not think saying there are lots of lovely care homes out there is particularly helpful either, the facts and figures do not support this.

I am simply saying that if you have to place a relative in a care home be very careful, ask lots of questions about the way the home is run if possible try and visit the home at maybe in the evening if possible,talk to the staff, the owner, the care home manager do as much research on a home as possible. There are many people out there who, like myself have had a very bad experience with a care home, if you have not had this experience you will not understand the way I feel.

Also there are basically four types of homes

Residental and nursing, these homes will not knowingly take people with dementia/AD

Dementia residential homes, they generally take residents who have dementia but not any other very serious health problems.

Dementia nursing homes, they usually take residents who not only have dementia but have other serious health issues and are not ususally mobile. This was the type of home my mum was in, she was NHS funded and if someone if NHS funded I believe the NHS trust will only place them in an Dementia nursing home.

As for calling them EMI (elderly mentally infirm) I was told quite abrubtly a long time ago, "oh we don't call them that anymore" I believe its not "politically correct".

 

[jaymor]

Elderly mental impaired ( not infirm) is still used. Agree not a good phrase but nothing has so far been put forward to replace it. It is what it is.


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[Saffie]

I would point out to you I have never tarred all care homes with the same brush.

Well, the following sounds pretty much to be covering all homes to me as people on TP are probably only going to be looking for homes that will accept residents with dementia.

I would never recommend a dementia home,

You also made a sweeping statement that there were many "lovely" care homes out there, I am puzzled as to how you could make a statement like this unless you have had many relatives in many of these "lovely" homes, you simply would not know. I do not think saying there are lots of lovely care homes out there is particularly helpful either, the facts and figures do not support this.

I don't think saying that there are lovely homes out there can be described as a sweeping statement. It is simply a statement of fact as it doesn't say that ALL homes are lovely, just that some are. I don't need to have relatives in many homes to realise that though I do know a number of people who have experience of relatives in homes but I only have to read the posts of many people on TP who are happy with the homes in which their relatives reside.

One on three failures means that two thirds of homes are not failures, so more good than bad I'd say, wouldn't you. Perhaps not.

Residental and nursing, these homes will not knowingly take people with dementia/AD

I don't know where you live - but - hereabouts, they will do so, if they are registered as accepting people with dementia. My husband is in a nursing home which has a mix of people with and without dementia.
As I have previously mentioned all the Residential or Nursing homes in our area are listed as such - 2 types - and simple say whether they accept people with dementia or mental illness or physical disabilities or learning disabilities or sensory impairment or past or present drug or alcohol dependence or simply old age.( I am reading from the Guide to Residential Care book.)
So not all areas catergorise homes in the same way.

 

[jaymor]

Saffie it is likewise where we live. My husband's unit is just for 26 people spread over three floors. It is next door to a larger 109 bedded care home owned by the same company. There are residents with Parkinson's, hodgkinson's and dementia. There are also residents who have suffered brain damage. A very high proportion of them are mobile as they are in my husband's unit.

The residents are all elderly , well in their 60's so not that old but are all mentally impaired in some way but not all are dementia sufferers.

There are also residential homes that have residents without any health or mental problems. The residents are there because they choose to live there rather than anywhere else.

There certainly cannot be any generalisation put on any part of care.

Jayx




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[tonyald]

My post seems to have been hijacked and turned into a debate on the pros and cons of care homes. This was never my intention on posting and thank you to those who have replied to my post. I see that it is a minefield and is a matter of opinion and certainly stirs up hot emotions. I never said that there are not good homes out there, i am sure there are some fantastic ones but as a family our wish is that she returns home and the post really asked for advice on why it is so difficult to arrange this with social services? Myself and my wife live next door but one to my MIL so would never be far away and we do expect her attend a day centre which she has attended before and liked a lot. I understand time away from her home is an issue but she has returned there regularly so is aware that it is her home and is still very familiar with her surroundings. Our meeting with social services is next week so i will post the outcome in the hope it may help someone in the future.

 

[Portia]

I really hope the meeting goes well for you & social services fully recognize the level of support you can offer.