CARE HOME ASSAULT CASES DOUBLE
‘Horrifying’ rise in just 3 years as police figures highlight suffering of elderly
THE number of reported assaults in care homes has more than doubled in three years, shocking figures reveal today.
Police forces from across England and Wales received almost 2,500 reports of assaults in care homes in the 12 months to April – up from the 1,100 reported three years previously.
In total, officers recorded a staggering 5,400 reports of crimes in care homes last year – including reports of neglect, ill-treatment, blackmail and even a case of ‘administered poison’.
Worryingly, the true toll of crime is likely to be even higher as less than half of police forces responded to the Freedom of Information request.
The figures are the latest to illustrate the scale of the crisis in the social care sector, which has been beset by funding problems, care home closures, staff shortages and allegations of ill-treatment.
Only last week, the Daily Mail’s Investigations Unit revealed how the crisis has become so severe, four in ten homes are failing inspections. An audit revealed that 38 per cent of more than 5,000 homes reported on this year have been declared inadequate or in need of improvement, with some elderly residents left for up to nine hours without food.
Last night, campaigners described the latest police figures as ‘horrifying’.
Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd said: ‘Elderly people deserve to look forward to retirement without worrying about becoming victims of crime.
‘Instead, hundreds of vulnerable older people are being assaulted or stolen from in the very places they are meant to be cared for, while too often the cowardly criminals that prey on them are being let off the hook.
‘ This situation is completely unacceptable.
‘We need to invest more in the police and in our care homes to prevent older people becoming sitting ducks for criminals.’
Today’s figures reveal that the number of alleged crimes in care homes soared from 3,460 in 2014/15 to 4,677 in 2015/16 and to 5,398 in 2016/17. Within that total, 2,483 assaults were reported to police in 2016/17 – up from 1,163 in 2014/15. A total of 756 cases were ‘assault with injury’.
Allegations of theft increased from 964 to 1079 over the period, and cases of burglary jumped from 281 in 2014/15 to 356 in 2016/17.
The actual figures are likely to be much higher as they account for only 16 police forces who responded to the FoI request from the Lib Dems, out of a total of 43 forces.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: ‘These figures are deeply distressing and show that too many older people living in care homes are not being adequately protected from abuse and neglect.
‘Any abuse of older people is completely unacceptable, and we need a zero tolerance approach, whether the abuse is physical or mental cruelty, financial manipulation, theft or neglect.’
She said care homes had a ‘moral and professional duty of care’ and ‘pressures on our social care system can never be a legitimate excuse for them failing’ in that duty.
Rob Burley, director of policy at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘Care homes must be an environment where residents feel safe and supported, not one that puts them at risk of exploitation.
‘It’s horrifying that people in care homes are falling victim to crime, but worse still that this appears to be on the rise. Almost three-quarters of care home residents have dementia, which means they are especially vulnerable.’
The figures cover all types of reported assaults in care homes, including those on residents by staff, incidents between residents, and attacks on care workers themselves, as well as assaults on the mentally ill and some children. However, it is feared that attacks by staff on residents are by far the most common.
A Local Government Association spokesman said: ‘When there are cases of assault reported, these should be investigated and action taken where necessary. Any instance where safety is compromised is unacceptable and councils, health providers, and the Care Quality Commission must redouble our collective efforts to ensure people’s safety.’
Debbie Ivanova, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult social care for the South region, said: ‘I expect that local police forces will have taken appropriate action in any instance when a crime has been committed in a care home, so that those responsible are held to account and people living there feel safe.
‘As the regulator, it is our job to assess the overall quality of care services in England. While the vast
‘Completely unacceptable’
majority of care homes in the country have been rated as “good”, we do not hesitate to take action when we find this is not the case.’
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Abuse of any kind is completely unacceptable. Our changes to the law mean the Care Quality Commission can take more direct action against care providers whose services put people at risk, or fall below the high standards of care we expect.’
Today’s figures add to the evi- dence of a deepening crisis in the nation’s care homes.
Many homes are facing a recruitment crisis, with some so shortstaffed that residents have resorted to caring for each other.
Meanwhile, a study this week
said that an extra 71,000 care places for the over-65s will be needed in England alone by 2025 as the population ages.
By 2035, a total of 189,000 extra places will be required. Care home operators say they are under pres- sure because local authorities have cut their contributions for residents, while costs – particularly staff overheads – have risen.
The sector predicts an annual £2.3billion shortfall by 2020.