Does the media focus too much on poor care?

Ian Buchan, Independent Age, director of care services

Jenny Moore, founder of Your Voice Matters

YES – it is making people scared of all care homes

“While bad practice has of course to be exposed - and a spate of recent reports have highlighted that there are problems across most services older people use, in hospitals, care homes and care received at home - there is also a great deal of high quality care that goes largely unnoticed.

Focussing on poor quality care means that care homes as a whole get a bad name and, as the recent Alzheimer Society’s report outlines, relatives reduce their expectations of acceptable care, becoming almost grateful for receiving just the essentials. Good care for older people, however, has to move beyond just feeding and managing personal care; people with dementia need social interactions as much as the rest of us.

The real failure is the lack of information available to older people and their relatives when choosing a care home or other services; we are still reliant on limited information from the Government regulator, the Care Quality Commission.

It is as if the only information to choose a hotel was its AA star rating. The Government and care homes need to work together to broaden take up of involvement in surveys which anonymously surveys residents and relatives and publishes the results, giving older people and their families confidence when the time comes to choose a care home, which is right for them.”

NO - the media plays a vital role in exposing bad practice

“Your Voice Matters is often criticised by defensive care staff for posting negative press. We invite them to name their care home but they refuse. We invited them to meet with the Care Quality Commission to talk about their good care home – not one attended that meeting.

The volume and frequency of negative press highlights the severity of the care home crisis and I consider they play a vital role in exposing bad practice that continues to be hidden by care providers and supervising authorities who ‘cover up’ their failings. Whistleblowers and families are disbelieved, victimised and bullied by the care sector, because they care passionately enough to challenge neglect and abuse.

This is why our petition for CCTV in care homes on www.gopetition.com/petitions/cctv-in-all-care-nursing-and-residential-homes.html is so very important, without evidence you are powerless.

Even David Cameron says there is complacency, focusing on positives and not critical analysis. Care homes will always be needed to provide 24 hour care, and it is short sighted to continue to ignore this crisis. We are still experiencing institutionalised care, no matter what the care home websites and glossy literature states and regardless of guidelines and recommendations in place.

Embrace the press as only this will give a true account of what is actually happening in our care homes.”