Dementia patient left DEHYDRATED: Number of complaints about adult social care rise

CARE of the elderly and dementia patients has been put under the spotlight after a report revealed complaints about care provided in people's homes rose by a quarter over the last year, while those about care homes increased by a fifth.

The Local Government Ombudsman - LGO - received 2,969 complaints and enquiries about adult social care in 2015/16, up 6 per cent on the previous year.

There was a 21 per cent rise in complaints about residential care homes, while complaints about home care rose by 25 per cent.

The LGO found themes across the complaints it received on home care, including staff failing to turn up, being late, not staying long enough or cancelling visits.

Some people received visits from too many different carers, while there was also poor record-keeping.

The ombudsman also revealed one patient with dementia ended up dehydrated because he was not given enough to drink.

The report said medical attention was then delayed because the care home had not registered him with a GP.

It added: "When the provider responded to David's daughter, who made the complaint on his behalf, the explanations about the care her father had received could not be backed up by records or other evidence.”

The report said the rising number of complaints about social care may be ‘indicative of the pressures the sector is experiencing’.

It added: "We know that there are significant and increasing pressures on all areas of adult social care, and not least the home care market.

"Problems with recruitment and retention of staff, the introduction of the national living wage, and underfunded and over-stretched services have been well documented."

The report said the complaints revealed that the quality of care delivered to people ‘often falls below the standard expected’.

"Respect for individual preferences around food and drink, what to wear and when to get up and go to bed are important to any individual and become emphasised when a person is not able to do these things independently,” the report said.

Of the 2,969 complaints received during the year, the LGO investigated 1,115 and upheld 58 per cent overall, up on 55 per cent the year before.

Dr Jane Martin, local government ombudsman, said: "Our complaints show that for people receiving care in their homes, it's often the little things that mean so much to them in maintaining their dignity, independence and a good quality of life. Consistency of care is vital to those who rely on these services.

"We recognise the sector's work signposting people to us may have had an impact on the number of complaints we received. However, we are still upholding nearly two thirds of home care complaints. This is too many.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of older people's charity Independent Age, said: "The sharp increase in complaints about adult social care is yet more evidence of a system in crisis.

"Home care is an incredibly important part of making sure that someone is able to retain their independence and stay in their own home. Inadequate home care can mean that older people lose the support they need for day-to-day tasks such as dressing or washing, and may be left to suffer in silence.

"This rise in complaints is the consequence of a care sector that is stretched to breaking point, with workforce gaps and a shortfall in funding impacting on the care many older people receive."

SOURCE: The Express, Olivia Lerche