One in two care workers verbally and physically abused by care home residents

Nearly half of care workers in care homes have been both physically and verbally abused by the residents they are supporting, according to new research.

A poll of 2,803 staff working in care homes revealed 17 per cent have received verbal abuse from residents and 11 per cent have been subject to physical abuse.

The survey by carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews site for care homes, also found that 48 per cent of care workers in care homes have been on the receiving end of both physical and verbal abuse from residents.

Anecdotal evidence from the National Association of Care & Support Workers (NACAS) shows abuse ranges from care workers being punched in the stomach as well as being spat at and hit with residents’ sticks. They are also subjected to aggressive language and threats and say they are told to ‘just get on with it as it’s a part of the job’.

'Vital for care workers to have specialist support and training'

A spokesperson for carehome.co.uk, said: “All over the UK, care workers are doing physically and emotionally demanding jobs on often low pay and long hours. Yet at the same time, the rewards of working in a care home can be huge, as you can build strong relationships with the people you care for and make deep, emotional connections.

“Lashing out at staff is often a sign of frustration and it is vital care homes give staff dementia training so they can find the reasons behind this challenging behaviour. Care workers do such an important job and with around three-quarters of people in care homes having dementia, it is vital care workers are given adequate support and specialist training to care for them.”

The National Association of Care & Support Workers is very concerned with the reported numbers of abuse against care staff, with its chief executive, Karolina Gerlich, saying: “At the moment there is no legal requirement for in depth dementia or dealing with challenging behaviours training. This means that care workers who try their best to deliver great quality of care are not equipped with the right tools to conduct their duties safely.

“We have heard of care workers being hit, spat at and called names. It is not the fault of care workers or people receiving care. This is a system wide issue of mandatory training standards not matching the difficulties and skills required to provide great care safely.”

'He grabbed me by my throat and pinned me against the wall'

A care worker who wanted to remain anonymous told carehome.co.uk, how during her work with people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, she has often become the target.

She revealed that “on one occasion a resident with learning disabilities in his 30s called Mark had been out and had been teased by kids in the street. He was really angry about it and grabbed me by my throat and pinned me against the wall. I talked to him and managed to calm him down but I was terrified and didn't want to work there anymore”.

Another time, she said: 'I was working on a cover shift at a house for people with learning disabilities where I hadn't worked before. There was a woman with learning disabilities and she went into the garden and took all her clothes off and took her sanitary towel out and threw it at me. I tried to guide her by the elbow back into the house. I wasn't trained in restraint. She was non-verbal but she was making aggressive noises. Eventually she calmed down and I got her back into the house.”

Ways of reducing incidents of physical aggression

Stacey Danby, group manager, of Optic Care Group, which works with care providers on improving their care, has found incidents of physical aggression towards staff can be reduced by giving staff meaningful face to face training regarding behaviours that challenge, reactive strategies, as well as specific training regarding conditions such as dementia, autism, etc, that increase the likelihood of individuals displaying behaviours that challenge.

She believes there should also be sufficient time for staff to do shadow working to get to know the individual and see proactive strategies being implemented first hand.

There should also be support plans in place with details of what not to do with certain residents and early signs to look out for to proactively prevent behaviours that challenge. This needs a whole work force approach and staff who know the individuals well should be involved in the development and review of plans, according to Ms Danby.

It is not just care workers that can be on the receiving end of abuse, it can be the family of the residents too. People with dementia can be aggressive, due to frustration, misunderstanding, fear, hallucinations and sometimes an inability to communicate the pain they are in and they can take it out on those closest.

One family member posted on Mumsnet: ‘My dad has Alzheimer's and is in a care home and within the last few weeks he has gone from recognising me, but kind of looking "through" me to not knowing me at all. This is fine really, I know it's not his fault and it's all down to the disease, but he's become really violent towards me and I don't know what to do for the best.’

She revealed that he has gone from looking ‘through’ her to ‘glaring straight into my eyes with a look of utter hatred and loathing’.

He tries to hit her or throws things at her and she revealed that when she called him ‘Dad’, he told her he wasn't her dad, but a ‘nasty woman’. He has gone from being a man, she had never heard swear, to saying: ‘I'm going to belt you in the f**king face’.

Support for families

St Monica Trust has decided that as well as supporting care workers, they want to help support the family members of residents, as families can also lash out due to guilt and frustration. Wendy Leaman is manager of John Wills House care home in Bristol, which was rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission.

“It’s important to appreciate that very often a relative has reached crisis point when they are seeking residential care for a loved one. As a carer you can’t be defensive and it’s important to recognise that emotions are heightened and try to defuse the situation. If you don’t have the skill to do that then things can quickly escalate into verbal abuse or even physical violence, which is why the Trust places such an emphasis on the quality and frequency of its training programme,” she said.

At John Wills House, they have just started a family support group, which was developed through consultation with residents’ relatives and their occupational therapist. They hope they can reduce the risk of future conflict by building positive relationships at the outset.