Residents of flooded care home safe and dry after rescue

Residents of a flood-hit care home in Texas have been evacuated after an image of them sitting in waist-deep water was widely shared on social media.

Kim and Timothy McIntosh, daughter and son-in-law of the care home owner, posted the photograph on Twitter.

Fifteen elderly residents were moved from the La Vita Bella care home to a new nursing home in Alvin, Texas.

Once dry, residents posed for another photo showing them to be safe.

The original image showing elderly residents, and their cat, stuck in rapidly rising floodwater was widely shared on social media in an attempt to bring the situation to the attention of the emergency services.

Speaking to the BBC, Kim McIntosh said they tweeted the photograph in a bid to "get as much attention as possible to get them help."

Twitter-users were quick to respond, spreading the message online, and within a few hours the residents were rescued.

David Popoff, Galveston County Emergency Management Co-ordinator, confirmed the rescue operation to the Galverston County Daily News.

Timothy McIntosh thanked Twitter users for sharing the photograph, and the emergency services for rescuing the residents.

The new care home, some 15 miles (24km) from their previous residence, told CBS News that everyone was in good spirits.

However, social media users displayed concern for one resident from the original image who was missing from the second - the La Vita Bella cat.

In another happy ending for the residents of La Vita Bella, Bozo the cat is also safe and well.

SOURCE: BBC News, Trudy Lampson

The power of communication wins the day.

One social hour a week in dementia care improves lives and saves money

Person-centred activities combined with just one hour a week of social interaction can improve quality of life and reduce agitation for people with dementia living in care homes, while saving money.

These are the findings from a large-scale trial led by the University of Exeter, King's College London and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. These results were presented today (July 16) at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC). The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The trial involved more than 800 people with dementia across 69 care homes in South London, North London and Buckinghamshire. Two 'care staff champions' at each home were trained over four day-long sessions, to take simple measures that such as involve talking to residents about their interests and decisions around their own care. When combined with just one hour a week of social interaction, it improved quality of life and reduced agitation.

Importantly, the approach also saved money compared to standard care. Researchers say the next key challenge is to roll the programme to the 28,000 care homes in the UK to benefit the lives of the 300,000 people with dementia living in these facilities.

Professor Clive Ballard, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: "People with dementia who are living in care homes are among the most vulnerable in our society. Incredibly, of 170 carer training manuals available on the market, only four are based on evidence that they really work. Our outcomes show that good staff training and just one hour a week of social interaction significantly improves quality of life for a group of people who can often be forgotten by society."

Dr Jane Fossey from the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Taking a person-centred approach is about really getting to know the resident as an individual—knowing their interests and talking with them while you provide all aspects of care. It can make a massive difference to the person themselves and their carers. We've shown that this approach significantly improves lives, reduces agitation and actually saves money too. This training must now be rolled out nationwide so other people can benefit."

Doug Brown, Director of Research for Alzheimer's Society, said:

"70% of people living in care homes have dementia, so it is vital that staff have the right training to provide good quality dementia care.

"We know that a person-centred approach that takes each individual's unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs into account can improve care. This study shows that training to provide this type of individualised care, along with activities and social interactions, has a significant impact on the well-being of people living with dementia in care homes. It also shows that effective care can reduce costs, which the stretched social care system desperately needs.

"Alzheimer's Society is committed to improving dementia care through research. We want to see interventions like this put into practice, and will continue to fund further research to improve the quality of life for people with dementia in their own homes, care homes and hospitals. But investment in research alone cannot rescue the broken system. The government must use the consultation on social care reform to deliver a long-term solution that addresses the desperate funding crisis in our current system and shares the cost of care across society."

The results are the findings of the Improving Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia (WHELD) trial, the largest non-pharmacological randomised control trial in people with dementia living in care homes to date.

SOURCE: Medical Xpress, University of Exeter

Investment in research and long term application from the social care system will significantly impact on these efforts.

'Where there is disability there is still ability': Blind man completes 500ft wing-walk for charity

Fearless Mark Baxter stood on the wings of a plane as it flew at 135mph, 500ft in the sky, for Deafblind Awareness Week.

The 35-year-old charity worker has so far raised over £1,100 for Sense, a national charity that supports people who are deafblind and who have sensory impairments or complex needs.
Although registered blind, Mr Baxter from Crayford, did not let that stop him when he completed the wing-walking challenge last weekend.

On his JustGiving page, Mr Baxter wrote: “From an early age, I was diagnosed with a deteriorating eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which will slowly lead to blindness.
“We often forget how valuable sight and sound is to our everyday lives and I want to support the fantastic work Sense does across the UK and internationally to keep deafblind individuals active and independent by taking part on my first Sense charity challenge.

“Once again I will be taking to the skies and this time I will not be leaping from a plane. I will be attached to the wing of one, which includes 10 minutes of climbs, dives, and low level flybys at speeds of up to 130mph....all in aid of DeafBlind Awareness Week.”

Mr Baxter, who has a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), has spent the last decade undertaking various challenges, including the London marathon, skydives and treks across the Sahara, UK’s Three Peaks and Iceland, determined to experience as much as he can, while he can.

His latest feat has helped him to raise over a thousand pounds for the disability charity Sense, who he began working for last year.

To be able to complete the challenge at Aerobatic Tactics, Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster, Mr Baxter completed an extensive training programme to drop his weight within health and safety limits of 12st 2lbs (77kg).
Commenting on the experience, he added: “The wing-walk was an overwhelming experience and one I’ll never forget. I was so thankful to family, friends and colleagues who have shown their support.



“I really hope I can act as an inspiration for people who are going through a similar thing, and show them that where there is disability there is still ability.”

SOURCE: homecare.co.uk, Melissa McAlees

How wonderful and congratulations to Mr Baxter - not many would a have a go at this when registered blind.

Diagnosis with a cost: How dementia strains families and finances

 Diane Smith walks down the hallway with an infectious smile, greeting everyone she sees.  Today is one of her rare days off.  The cardiac and intensive care nurse is more often than not on the job.

“Sixty hours a week,” she describes her regular schedule.  “I work two shifts of overtime every week.”

It is the price Diane has to pay for her husband Ron Smith’s around-the-clock care.

“His behavior got more and more bizarre and he was getting lost driving in circles,” she remembers the signs two years ago.  “And he would go to the store and just get lost and forget where he was.”

“His behavior got more and more bizarre and he was getting lost driving in circles. And he would go to the store and just get lost and forget where he was.”

Not long after he started displaying the changes, Ron was in a car accident.  He had an MRI, and then came the diagnosis: vascular dementia.  A first and second opinion confirmed Ron had suffered strokes that went undetected until the imaging.  Ron was only 49.

Diane says Ron’s health quickly declined, and the father of three entered a Memory Care Facility in April 2015.

“Dementia is the single most expensive disease to manage,” Diane says.  “Not for the treatment, but for the care of these people because long-term very, very few people can stay at home and be managed at home with this disease process.”

The Alzheimer’s Association lists common dementia symptoms as loss of memory, communication and language.  The patients’ ability to focus and pay attention lessens, along with their reasoning, judgment and visual perception.

“He had come so close to hurting himself so many times that it wasn’t safe to keep him home,” Diane remembers.

Diane paid $45,000 out of pocket last year.  The Alzheimer’s Association says costs can exceed $90,000 a year, depending on the patient’s need.

“Room and board is solely the family’s responsibility,” explains. “It is never ending, never ending. If you can imagine your monthly budget with, you know, your bills or anybody else’s bills and now you got $4,000 added on to that. Bam! There you are. Yeah, it’s tough.”

Diane knows many families have a hard time making ends meet once a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, especially when a younger patient is involved.

 “There’s grants and there’s assistance for people who have the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, dementia and are over 60,” she says.  “That grant isn’t available to us due to his age.”

No matter the age, the Alzheimer’s Association says these diseases can strain families and finances, and many hesitate talking about it.

It is why Diane is sharing her experience.  She also recommends anyone whose spouse is diagnosed with dementia seek power of attorney before the condition worsens.

“I thought that because I had been married to him for 24 years I didn’t need it,” she calls to mind. “Now I’m in a position where we can’t sell our house because he can’t sign his part.”

SOURCE: Amy Lacey, ABC News
Sadly this is a story that has become a reality for many people looking after a loved one with dementia. Its so important to seek power of attorney in order.

Eight care homes run by the same firm are raided by police probing the deaths of 12 residents with 43 staff members quizzed over possible crimes

Police raided eight nursing homes and seized hundreds of pieces of evidence after tip-offs from social services.

Officers are investigating the deaths of 12 people in care homes run by Sussex Health Care between April 2015 and June 2017. 

Adrian Tilley was one of the bereaved relatives called to a police summit after his 78-year-old mother Valerie died.

He told the Mirror: 'We need to know what happened.'

Health bosses have also launched a series of unannounced spot checks across care homes.

Sussex Health Care runs 20 homes and provides beds for 580, including younger patients with physical and learning difficulties.

The death of a young adult is believed to be one of the cases under investigation as police determine whether criminal activity took place.

On Friday relatives were called to a meeting by Detective Chief Inspector Till Sanderson.

Mr Tilley – whose mother died after two falls at the Longfield Manor care home in Billingshurst, West Sussex – said he became emotional when listening to tales from other grieving relatives.

  

Debbie Ivanova has confirmed that the Care Quality Commission is working with police to investigate deaths dating back to 2015

'There were some terrible, tragic stories from other grieving family members in that meeting.

'It was very emotional. We all entrusted these homes to look after our loved ones and we need to know if there was wrongdoing or not.'

Sussex Police said the meeting was called so officers could 'meet family members and explain why police are involved'.

Representatives from West Sussex County Council, the NHS, Care Quality Commission and the Coroner for West Sussex also spoke to relatives at the meeting at County Hall in Horsham.

They were told how 17 officers have been assigned to the case – which could stretch into 2019.

Seized documents will be examined to determine if gross negligence or wilful negligence was a factor in the deaths.

In has been confirmed that 43 staff members will also be questioned as witnesses, though more may be called upon as the investigation develops.

The deaths under investigation could date back as far as April 13, 2015, when a legal change made it an offence for a care-worker to ill-treat or wilfully neglect a patient in their care.

As the case unfolds, adult social services will not refer new patients to the homes in question, relatives were told.

Sussex Health Care is registered in Jersey under joint chairmen Shiraz Boghani and Doctor Shafik Sachedina.

Mr Boghani also co-founded the Splendid Hotel Group and was crowned Hotelier of the Year at the Asian ­Business Awards 2016.

Families of care home residents who died were called to a summit to discuss the case's progression

Sussex Health Care gained accreditation from the Health Quality Service (HQS) in 2002 and the Investors In People standard in 2003.

The company's website says it focuses on care for older people.

'All of our homes are staffed by highly trained and dedicated carers and most offer specialist nursing care 24 hours a day. We pay great attention to the overall quality of life at our homes.'

The Care Quality Commission says it is carrying out an investigation in conjunction with the police probe.

Debbie Ivanova, deputy chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission, confirmed the body is working with police.

'We carried out a series of unannounced inspections as a result of information of concern regarding SHC Clemsfold Group Ltd and SHC Rapkyns Group Limited that was passed to us by West Sussex County Council.'  

She said the CQC would 'publish full reports, detailing our findings and any enforcement action against the provider, as soon as we can'. 

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said there have been no arrests at this early stage.

'Detective Chief Inspector Till Sanderson invited families of people whose deaths we may be investigating to a private meeting at County Hall, Horsham.

'It was an opportunity to meet family members and explain why the police are involved.

'Partner agencies, together with the coroner, attended to answer any ­questions from the families which they are better placed to answer.'

A spokesperson for Sussex Health Care said the group's main priority was the care of its patients.

'Whilst the investigation is still under way it would not be appropriate for us to comment on its scope or on any specific actions that have been taken.

'Our priority at all times is the wellbeing of residents and we are confident that our homes and services continue to provide high quality care and support on a daily basis.

'We continue to work openly and transparently with the county, the clinical commissioning group and the police to assist with the investigation.' 

Grandmother Valerie Tilley died after two falls at one of the homes under investigation.

Her sister Christine Harris and her son Adrian Tilley were devastated by the death of the 78-year-old in November.

After suffering with dementia for two years she was admitted to Longfield Manor in July.

A picture shows her sipping a cup of tea at the home in Billingshurst, West Sussex, last August, where she lived for four months before suffering a fall during the night on October 29.

Christine, 69, said: 'She left her room and went wandering up two flights of stairs. It’s the sort of behaviour that is very common in people with dementia. 

'The carers found her trying to open the fire door and say she fell back and hurt herself.'

Valerie was taken to hospital but was discharged the following day. 

She suffered a second fall three days later on November 1 after leaving her room in the night once again.

Staff found her unconscious and she was taken to hospital where she was found to be bleeding on the brain. She died on November 7.

Christine said she and her nephew Adrian – Valerie’s son – need answers.

'We want to know what measures were put in place to protect Valerie after her first fall.'

Plumber Adrian, 56, said: 'It was a relief to be invited to this meeting. I welcome the investigation into my mother’s death. Both Christine and I need to know what happened.'

A Care Quality Commission inspection of the home last October rated its service as 'Good' – but the issue of safety 'required improvement'.

SOURCE: MailOnline, Sebastian Murphy-Bates 

Hair today, gone tomorrow: Daughter's head shave raises hundreds for care home

The relative of a woman has said she was so impressed with the great care her mother received at The Beeches Care Home in Stockton, that she decided to show her gratitude by shaving her own head to raise money for the care home. 

Determined to thank the care home in her own special way, Ms Atkinson raised hundreds to pay for her mum and all other residents at the home, run by Hillcare Group, to go on more day trips. 

Ms Atkinson, whose mother Ellen has been living at the care home since February 2016, was happy to face the shears to get all her hair removed. 

But rather than leave it to a professional hairdresser, it was care home resident Alywn Behan who started the task, getting stuck in to rid Ms Atkinson of her locks for good. 

Despite this, Ms Atkinson showed no sign of fear. Ms Atkinson said: “The care and support my mum has been given has been outstanding." 

 “I wanted to help raise funds for the home as I appreciate how expensive events and outings are." 

Once Ms Behan had sheared off much of Ms Atkinson's hair, it became the job of care home’s manager Helen Wood to finish the head shave. 

The family member managed to raise £700 to pay for sensory equipment as well as day trips for residents at The Beeches Care Home. 

Ms Atkinson says of her aim: “I wanted to do something that would benefit all the residents in the home.” 

SOURCE: Angeline Albert, carehome.co.uk

What a great gesture and how lovely to hear a compliment instead of a complaint against the care home. 

One social hour a week in dementia care improves lives and saves money

Person-centred activities combined with just one hour a week of social interaction can improve quality of life and reduce agitation for people with dementia living in care homes, while saving money.

These are the findings from a large-scale trial led by the University of Exeter, King's College London and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. These results were presented today (July 16) at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC). The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The trial involved more than 800 people with dementia across 69 care homes in South London, North London and Buckinghamshire. Two 'care staff champions' at each home were trained over four day-long sessions, to take simple measures that such as involve talking to residents about their interests and decisions around their own care. When combined with just one hour a week of social interaction, it improved quality of life and reduced agitation.

Importantly, the approach also saved money compared to standard care. Researchers say the next key challenge is to roll the programme to the 28,000 care homes in the UK to benefit the lives of the 300,000 people with dementia living in these facilities.

Professor Clive Ballard, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: "People with dementia who are living in care homes are among the most vulnerable in our society. Incredibly, of 170 carer training manuals available on the market, only four are based on evidence that they really work. Our outcomes show that good staff training and just one hour a week of social interaction significantly improves quality of life for a group of people who can often be forgotten by society."

Dr Jane Fossey from the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Taking a person-centred approach is about really getting to know the resident as an individual—knowing their interests and talking with them while you provide all aspects of care. It can make a massive difference to the person themselves and their carers. We've shown that this approach significantly improves lives, reduces agitation and actually saves money too. This training must now be rolled out nationwide so other people can benefit."

Doug Brown, Director of Research for Alzheimer's Society, said:

"70% of people living in care homes have dementia, so it is vital that staff have the right training to provide good quality dementia care.

"We know that a person-centred approach that takes each individual's unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs into account can improve care. This study shows that training to provide this type of individualised care, along with activities and social interactions, has a significant impact on the well-being of people living with dementia in care homes. It also shows that effective care can reduce costs, which the stretched social care system desperately needs.

"Alzheimer's Society is committed to improving dementia care through research. We want to see interventions like this put into practice, and will continue to fund further research to improve the quality of life for people with dementia in their own homes, care homes and hospitals. But investment in research alone cannot rescue the broken system. The government must use the consultation on social care reform to deliver a long-term solution that addresses the desperate funding crisis in our current system and shares the cost of care across society."

The results are the findings of the Improving Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia (WHELD) trial, the largest non-pharmacological randomised control trial in people with dementia living in care homes to date.

SOURCE: Medical Xpress, University of Exeter

Social interaction and communication... seems that this approach should be everyday and common place rather than a task. When did we stop talking to each other? Asking how our day is going or even just a friendly hello isnt a lot to ask and is often the starting point for something much more meaningful.

Care home neglect - residents dressed in wrong clothes amid rotting plants and 'filthy' rooms

Elderly care home residents are being dressed in other people’s clothes and left languishing without exercise for five weeks at a time, a new investigation reveals.

Surprise inspections of nearly 200 institutions found older people living in “filthy” accommodation with rotting plants on the window sills.

The report by Healthwatch, a consumer champion for the health and social care sector, also revealed widespread lack of access to GPs and dentists for care home residents.

Sadly, I’m not at all surprised by these findingsJeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society

Only one of the facilities inspected had been able to secure regular visits from a dentist, and many others reported difficulty in persuading local GPs to attend.

Experts called it a “wakeup call” for the industry and regulators.

While the probe reported some improvements in the sector, Healthwatch said there remains a “worrying culture of apathy” in England’s care homes.

The report comes a month after the Care Quality Commission, the agency responsible for regulating the care homes, revealed that one in four adult social care facilities inspected since 2014 was unsafe.

A resident in Wolverhampton told Healthwatch inspectors: “My laundry is not always returned and is worn by others”.

Another in the same area said she was keen to take part in exercises with other residents in the lounge but, because she needed to be hoisted out of bed, was only able to join in every five weeks.

At one facility in South Tyneside, the budget for activities was just £50 a month.

Imelda Redmond, national director of Healthwatch England, said care homes were grappling with rising demand and stretched resources, but added: “Getting the basics right doesn't have to cost the earth and should be the least we should all be able to expect for our loved ones and ourselves should we need care support."

Other examples of poor practice highlighted in the report include one resident waiting an hour to be taken to the toilet, problems with cleanliness and dilapidated decoration such as peeling wallpaper, and laundry not being returned to the correct person and being worn by other residents.

Particular concerns were raised regarding the suitability of some care homes for residents with Alzheimer’s, such as a lack of dementia-friendly decoration and poor awareness of the condition.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said:  “Sadly, I’m not at all surprised by these findings.

“They testify to the existing issues with staff training across the sector, and echo what our investigation last year found - that one in three home-care workers had received absolutely no dementia training, resulting in people with dementia left in soiled sheets, and becoming ill after eating out-of-date food.”

Healthwatch inspectors visited 197 care homes across England between January 2016 and April this year.

The report found many examples of good care but also concluded that in many homes staff were “rushed off their feet” with residents picking up the strain.

Inspections in London care homes triggered fears that much of the training undertaken by staff was not practical, but undertaken online, with a risk that it was not being completed by the staff member themself.

Michael Cranfield, from the British Dental Association, said adequate dentistry was “too often the missing piece in care homes”.

“We keep seeing vulnerable residents with dentures that have never been taken out and managers who admit oral health is at the bottom of their to-do lists,” he said.

SOURCE:The Telegraph, Henry Bodkin

People with dementia need holidays too – and so do their carers

Picnics and trips outdoors can benefit dementia sufferers and their families.

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Summer time for many people represents more time spent outdoors with long, bright days and holidays away from home. But, spare a thought for family carers of people with dementia where the long summer days can bring back memories of easier times when now, many are stuck at home due to inadequate support or respite services.

Ann Twomey cared for her husband who had dementia and now volunteers as an advocate for carers. “The role of the carer for someone with dementia is physically and mentally draining, daunting and heart-breaking which is compounded by the lack of understanding of people with the condition.  People rarely ask you how you are,” she says.

Twomey says that when a spouse has dementia, it is a good idea to go on holidays with other family members if possible.  “Flying can be a problem as it’s very disorienting but it’s great to go away with sons/daughters and their children. Grandchildren can be fantastic as they actually understand things very well,” she says.

Twomey adds that spending time outdoors, having picnics – particularly in natural settings – can work very well when the person with dementia is still able to get out and about.

Exhausting

 Jacqueline Keane looked after her husband for over 10 years before he moved into a nursing home. In the last few years of caring, she got four weeks of respite care spread out throughout the year.  “I was lucky to have respite but it takes time to prepare to go away and it is exhausting being away for a week because you don’t really have the time to unwind when you’ve been so intensely busy. But, I was totally grateful for the break.”

Laura Reid is the full-time carer of her mother Nora who has dementia. She and her husband, David Costello, moved back into the Reid family home just after the birth of her first son (she now has two boys, Thomas aged 2 and Matthew aged 8 months) so that they could take care of Nora as part of their normal family life.

“We have a really happy home which surprises some people. My mam is part of everything we do and in the summer time, we have more opportunities to go out for walks and interact with the neighbours,” says Laura who gave up work to look after her mother and her two sons. Laura’s father died when she was 10 years old.

Laura says that it’s much better for people with dementia to remain in their family home if possible. And the contact with neighbours and familiar surroundings helps. “Earlier in the summer, we went back to visit where Mam grew up in Sligo and she got great enjoyment for being there,” she says.

More recently, Laura herself took a holiday with her husband and sons while her sister looked after their mother. “It’s very important for us to take a week off so we can go back with our batteries recharged. We’re a family of caregivers but I’m aware that summer time can be very difficult for people who don’t have any support as there is very little respite available. It must be heartbreaking for people to see good weather and not be able to go out. The days must feel very long,” she says.

Most people have no idea how isolating it can be to be the full-time family carer of someone with dementia, according to new research launched this summer by researchers at Trinity College Dublin.

“There is a terrible loneliness. People say to me that my husband looks well and that I’m lucky to have him but there’s nothing in the evenings. The person he was isn’t there anymore and that’s especially noticeable because we had a good relationship and used to do so much together,” says one woman who attended the launch of the study.

Stressful

The De-Stress study of 200 carers – the largest Irish study to examine the wellbeing of people caring for their spouse with dementia – found that psychological and behavioural symptoms of dementia were the most stressful for carers.

The study also found that there were high levels of mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety among the carers surveyed. Two thirds of the spousal carers who partook in the study were women and half of all people interviewed were aged between 65 and 74. Nearly half of those surveyed said that they spent all of their waking time looking after their spouse.

Although the majority of carers said that that they partook in social activities on a weekly basis, the lead researcher, Prof Sabina Brennan urges carers to look after themselves. “It is sensible, not selfish to look after your own health and make a point of seeking social contact,” she says.

The majority of people with dementia live at home and the number of family carers in Ireland is estimated at 180,000.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, who cofunded the study with the Health Research Board offers support and advice to carers. These include a national helpline, social clubs, support groups and personalised dementia adviser services.

The society also campaigns for better understanding of dementia so that those with the condition and their carers can spend time out and about, partaking in social activities like playing cards or going to bingo – even if the person with dementia can no longer actively partake.

Pat McLoughlin, the CEO of the society, says that he hears lots of stories from carers as he travels around Ireland visiting support groups. “Often, carers have very little State support or very little assistance from other members of their family.

“Sleep deprivation was the strongest memory of one carer who told me she was constantly on edge. And, often we find that if a person dies or goes into residential care, the carer gets involved in committees, fundraising or volunteering.

“Our message to the Government is that these people need to be better supported to do the work they do that saves the State up to €807 million a year.”

SOURCE: The Irish Times, Sylvia Thompson

Absolutely, more support for the hard work and superhuman effort these carers put in day after day, week after week is desperately needed.Everyone needs a voice, those who need it most are often suffering silently.

Care agency hired workers with criminal convictions and failed to carry out background checks

Angels at Home CIC in Eccles has been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission

People with criminal convictions were hired as care workers by agency bosses who failed to carry out compulsory background checks on employees.

Salford-based Angels at Home CIC took on staff to work in elderly people’s homes before Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks had been completed, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

Two workers were found to have criminal convictions.

Inspectors said people were put at ‘risk of being supported by unsuitable staff’ because checks weren’t carried out - and due to a lack of subsequent risk assessments.

The agency has now been put into special measures after being deemed ‘inadequate’ by CQC bosses, who visited in February.

Inspectors reviewed the files of five members of staff. They discovered one worker, who had a criminal conviction, cared for people in their homes unsupervised for three months before a DBS check had been completed.

Inspectors said agency bosses did not carry out checks on four other members of staff, instead accepting DBS documents from previous employers.

Angels at Home CIC, an Eccles-based care agency, has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission

One of those members of staff had a criminal conviction.

Inspectors said that when they asked the agency’s registered provider whether they had undertaken risk assessments - or explored the circumstances leading to the two workers’ convictions - they were told: “I haven’t got an explanation for it, I don’t think it's right.”

CQC inspectors said bosses had not been ‘honest or transparent’ with the 62 people receiving support as they had told them all staff had checks before starting in-home care.

The damning inspection found seven breaches of the Health and Social Care Act.

CQC bosses said many staff had not undergone induction training and were not versed in basic first aid, medicine, safeguarding or food hygiene.

Angels at Home bosses claimed getting staff to do training was like ‘pulling teeth’. Inspectors said training was unpaid and that bosses expected staff to do it in their own time.

The firm advertised itself as specialising in dementia care, but inspectors found none of the staff at the agency had received dementia training.

Inspectors said two staff members had been administering medicine without receiving training to do so.

CQC chiefs have now stopped the agency from setting up any new packages of care - or altering existing packages - without prior permission from the watchdog.

Inspectors are still considering further enforcement options.

A spokesman for Angels at Home CIC said: “We are committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of all those who use our service and strive to provide the very best care at all times.

“This matter is the subject of ongoing proceedings with the CQC. As such, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”

Salford’s integrated care organisation, which is in charge of hospital, social care and mental health services, has responsibility for domiciliary and nursing home care.

Director of adult social care (resources) at Salford Royal Hospital, Keith Darragh, said: “Our immediate priority is to work with all agencies to ensure continuity of care for people receiving services delivered by Angels at Home.

“We are working closely with the care agency and inspectors from the CQC to make sure there is clear plan for improvement.

“Service users deserve the highest quality of care, therefore we will be closely monitoring progress to ensure that standards improve.”

A spokesman for Sentinel House, where the company rents an office, said: "Although the company rent an office from us, they are nothing to do with Sentinel House. They are just one of a number of companies who rent offices from us."

SOURCE: Manchester Evening News,Charlotte Dobson, Charlotte Green

Sadly this is becoming an all too familiar situation with some care companies cutting corners in order to sign up staff as fast as they possibly can. Another reason to suggest that the whole system needs overhauling to ensure the priority in all cases remains to be the client.