Regretably this is the state of social care in the UK and not just for dementia, but every aspect of social care, be it for children or adults, care homes, home care, supported living, etc.
Staffing is a major problem both the quantity and in many instances the quality for due to the lack of quantity, some providers are accepting anyone who applies, irrespective if they are totally suitable.
There are some very good providers who do employ good quality workers, but it is becoming so hard to find the quality in the UK and due to immigration policies not that easy to recruit from outside the UK.
Funding is a major proble, which this Government is totally bignoring, like all previous Government before them.
Why, well it is because social care is not held in the great esteem that is the NHS and even there funding is very restricted, thus, leading to severe staff shortages throughout the NHS and not just for nurses and junior doctors.
So, the crisis is so severe in the NHS and even more so in social care, but we have an uncaring Government, just as we have had since the start of social care. For social care has never been look at and given the recognition it really deserves and so much needs.
By many, it is viewed that anyone can work in social care and deliver all that is required, but that is so far from the truth that it can be. For working in social care is not just turning up and doing what you wish too. For to care with good quality a care worker needs to fully understand the responsibilities that are there,
- understanding the rights and choices of the person being cared for
- showing the cared for person respect and the dignity needed
- respecting the cared for persons property and belongings, especially when the care is being provided in the cared for persons own home, but also in their room in a care home.
- not only providing care but when needed, deal with areas of finance, safeguarding and many others
- to follow the individulised Care Plan
The above are only some of the areas for there are many others.
Many persons being cared for will have some equipment to help with their care, hoists, stand aids, specialised baths, specific food requirements and how they are feed, maybe ‘peg feeding‘ or others and many more.
So, much training is required, which needs to be understood and followed correctly.
But the remunerations they receive fail completely to take these responsibilities into account and then there is expenses, such as for travel and others which are not completely taken into account
Then there are the working conditions and others, such as not fully entitled to all holiday pay and no sick pay other than the totally insufficient Statutory Sick Pay
Social care as been the forgotten care service for way too long and there remuneration is one area where great improvements can be made, for many care workers are only on the National Living Wage to be £10.42 from 1 April 2023 and currently £9.50 per hour, when £14/15 would be so much more realistic, but this Government does not wish to know, so Social Care will get so much worse, which will have a very severe impact on the NHS, which it is already doing, but the impact will get so much worseand so will severely impact on the NHS to recover from their own crisis. For the NHS can’t exist without Social Care as Social Care can’t without without the NHS.
So, Government, for once just listen and then act as is required, breaking the actions or more correctly the inactions that have gone before.
Human Rights need respecting, even by Governments
Source: Dementia patients in England facing ‘national crisis’ in care safety | Social care | The Guardian
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