20% of hospitals lack basic care for elderly, says report

According to the report of the Care Quality Commission, 20per cent of home care and hospitals are not focused on dignity and nutrition.

12:31 20 March 2013

“Disappointing.”

This is how the Care Quality Commission described the result of their survey. The commission inspected 50 hospitals, and only 33 of them met the five relevant standards. From the care sector, only 316 of the 500 homes met the standards.

The report found that although nutrition has improved slightly, more patients feel that they are not treated with dignity, and that they are not receiving the kind of support they need.

The report cited examples of call-bells being left unanswered, bad manners, and lack of support at meal times.

CQC chief executive David Behan said the findings were "disappointing".

 

Dot Gibson, of the National Pensioners Convention told the BBC in one report: “One report after another shows that we still cannot guarantee that when an older person goes into hospital or a care home that they will have their dignity respected.

 

"This is tantamount to institutionalised abuse. Where else in our society would we tolerate such neglect without a huge public outcry?”