Anger as the As families kept apart watchdog fails to act ‘Visiting it feels like a high-security jail’
FAMILIES have vented their anger at what they see as the care home watchdog’s failure to act on the continuing Covid visiting scandal.
More than a year after most shut their doors and despite an order to reopen, thousands of grieving relatives say they are banned.
Some are only allowed to see seriously sick and dying loved ones from behind screens and talk to them on phones in what amounts to “prison-like” visits.
Those who have grievances have been told to complain to the care provider or fill out a feedback form.
Care Minister Helen Whately said: “New visiting arrangements started on March 8.
“Every care home should ensure each resident can nominate one named person who can have regular, indoor visits.
“We are pursuing non-legislative routes for implementation, which allow us to move more swiftly.”
But the seeming inability to force providers to adhere to guidelines has led to calls for an overhaul of the Care Quality Commission.
Julia Jones is the co-founder of John’s Campaign which was set up in 2014 to lobby for extended visiting rights for family carers. Writing in this newspaper today, she underlines the human misery within many care homes. She said: “This is not an attack on individual CQC inspectors, but on its current leadership.”
But the watchdog promised to get tough on blanket bans, threatening providers with on-the-spot inspections if they flouted rules.
Although some homes have opened up, others have restricted
DESPAIRING Patrick Donovan has struggled to come to terms with his wife’s rapid deterioration. Ruth Wilson, 72, has been a resident at Westholme Care Home in Lytham St Annes, Lancs, for a year.
But a lack of meaningful contact has seen her go downhill, fast. After his
visiting to just 30 minutes once a week from a nominated and named visitor.
The CQC, an executive arm of the Department of Health and Social Care, was set up in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England. Chief executive Ian Trenholm’s salary is £195,000.
On Tuesday campaign group Rights for Residents met with the last visit on March 20 Patrick, 60, said: “This is what I was greeted with when I saw Ruth for the first time since August.
“It was very similar to those American high-security jails you see on television.”
He added: “I have complained
CQC and told them families of the 400,000 care home residents in the UK are “losing faith in its ability to act”. Co-founder Jenny Morrison said: “The CQC told us it’s very difficult to trigger an inspection if people make anonymous complaints and yet they are well aware relatives are too afraid to speak openly for fear of eviction.
“Who is monitoring these care to the CQC but they have been useless.”
He is now trying to remove Ruth from the home.
Westholme Care Home manager Adam Kear said: “We cannot discuss the individual care plan of any resident without the express consent of their next of kin.”
providers? Currently nobody by the look of it.”
CQC said it had carried out 3,639 risk-based inspections since April 1 – equal to 10 every day. Kate Terroni, chief inspector of adult social care, said: “We are aware of 18 concerns which have been raised with us about possible blanket bans, however, we have not confirmed any in place at this moment.”