Anyone remember my deep concerns about the standards of cleanliness and the living conditions in the 3 EMI units I visited in my area? I promised to pass on the response from them. Here it is................................................................................
' That under the environment section of the National Minimum Standards 19-26, only standards 19 and 26 are considered key standards and will therefore be inspected at each inspection visit. Whilst I appreciate the concerns you have raised, these reports were written based on evidence found on the day of inspection and may not necessarily be as you found them on the days of your visit.
The Department of Health have produced the standards and regulations and guidance is issued to inspectors as to which standards to look at. This is not the individual choice of each inspector.
However reports are now produced slightly different under our new processes and the site visit is only just part of the whole inspection process. Other information gained from Annual Quality Assurance Assessments, questionnaires from other health related professionals, relatives and residents themselves, service reviews and other information such as what you have given us is taken in to consideration during the reporting process.
The information that you have supplied will be taken into consideration and used in our inspection process. As regards your concerns I would be more than happy to pass your comments on to each of the homes and ask them to respond to you directly under their complaints procedures. If you are happy for me to do this would you please let me know'...................................................................
I will have to 'sleep' on this reponse overnight, I am so angry that I must calm down before replying to this e mail.
I think the response is typical of the beurocracy and 'back covering' mentality which seems to pervade everything connected with Elderly Mental Health legislation! There have been one or two posts today about the new Mental Health Capacity Act (think that was what it was called).
Seems to me that present day legislation is not at all concerned with EMI sufferers as PEOPLE - neither the vulnerable elderly or with the familes and loved ones who care very, very much about them. The jargon they use shows this. The elderly mentally infirm are called 'service users' - think this speaks for itself!
Empires have been built and legal coverer implemented to give them immunity against criticism - all purporting to be for the welfare and protection of the vulnerable. It makes me so angry!!!
As for the response mentioning questionnairs to relatives and residents - I have seen one or two positive comments quoted in each report on their website. Am I then to believe from this that there were no negative reports? And not everyone has the courage to give a negative report anyway. And I do not think there are many residents in EMI units who can be considered to have the mental capacity to respond to any questionnair! We are never told the percentages of questionnairs returned.
As to the final paragraph about passing on my comments - I can voice my own complaints without prompting from the Social Commission. Seems to me from this response that attack is the best form of defence. What do you think?
' That under the environment section of the National Minimum Standards 19-26, only standards 19 and 26 are considered key standards and will therefore be inspected at each inspection visit. Whilst I appreciate the concerns you have raised, these reports were written based on evidence found on the day of inspection and may not necessarily be as you found them on the days of your visit.
The Department of Health have produced the standards and regulations and guidance is issued to inspectors as to which standards to look at. This is not the individual choice of each inspector.
However reports are now produced slightly different under our new processes and the site visit is only just part of the whole inspection process. Other information gained from Annual Quality Assurance Assessments, questionnaires from other health related professionals, relatives and residents themselves, service reviews and other information such as what you have given us is taken in to consideration during the reporting process.
The information that you have supplied will be taken into consideration and used in our inspection process. As regards your concerns I would be more than happy to pass your comments on to each of the homes and ask them to respond to you directly under their complaints procedures. If you are happy for me to do this would you please let me know'...................................................................
I will have to 'sleep' on this reponse overnight, I am so angry that I must calm down before replying to this e mail.
I think the response is typical of the beurocracy and 'back covering' mentality which seems to pervade everything connected with Elderly Mental Health legislation! There have been one or two posts today about the new Mental Health Capacity Act (think that was what it was called).
Seems to me that present day legislation is not at all concerned with EMI sufferers as PEOPLE - neither the vulnerable elderly or with the familes and loved ones who care very, very much about them. The jargon they use shows this. The elderly mentally infirm are called 'service users' - think this speaks for itself!
Empires have been built and legal coverer implemented to give them immunity against criticism - all purporting to be for the welfare and protection of the vulnerable. It makes me so angry!!!
As for the response mentioning questionnairs to relatives and residents - I have seen one or two positive comments quoted in each report on their website. Am I then to believe from this that there were no negative reports? And not everyone has the courage to give a negative report anyway. And I do not think there are many residents in EMI units who can be considered to have the mental capacity to respond to any questionnair! We are never told the percentages of questionnairs returned.
As to the final paragraph about passing on my comments - I can voice my own complaints without prompting from the Social Commission. Seems to me from this response that attack is the best form of defence. What do you think?
