Safety monitoring
and support as families noted the serious decline in loved ones. They had received no explanation or communication explaining that deterioration. No regulator visits had been undertaken, safeguarding officers had not attended homes, and therefore no witness or investigation had occurred in very many instances. CCFTV proceeded to raise family concerns with providers, safeguarding teams, and social workers. We attended numerous provider and safeguarding meetings in a family advocacy role in an effort to get some answers for those who had lost family members and for those who, post-pandemic, had returned to care homes and barely recognised their loved one.
A significant number of those meetings
were acrimonious, particularly with those providers who could not adequately explain the circumstances around a particular resident’s welfare. During the pandemic, the numbers of residents suffering ‘unexplained injuries’ increased materially. Families naturally were seeking an explanation, and when none was forthcoming, many families found this unacceptable, and said so. Trust in providers was severely eroded and, in some cases, the acrimony resulted in providers issuing eviction notices to families, giving them 30 days to move a resident. CCFTV attempted to persuade providers to withdraw those notices, given the vulnerability of a number of the residents affected. The vast number of families we represented simply wanted answers and to know that care would be improved. On too many occasions this was met with hostility and an effort to resolve the problem by removing the resident. Many of the cases studies we publish are summarized in the families’ own words. Their distress is palpable and it is their collective hope that, by sharing these summaries, other older people will be safeguarded.
Safety monitoring users Very few care providers actually use surveillance systems. Most see them as a ‘last resort’. Adoption is therefore unlikely without either regulatory enforcement or demand from service commissioners. The sad thing is that many providers accept that they can never fully know what goes on in any particular care home all of the time. The larger groups tend to have quality assurance systems, yet many continue to experience poor inspection report findings and, on occasions, reported abuses.
40 For those who argue that care selection,
exhaustive training, and extensive induction of staff will eradicate abuse, CCFTV argue that these have already been tried for many years. Providers do not naturally seek to deploy poorly trained staff, given the risk both to residents and a provider’s reputation. Providers are very aware that long and protracted admissions embargoes result from serious complaints, so it is totally in their interests to provide a high-quality service. CCFTV has visited only a handful of
providers using safety monitoring services simply because most providers have decided not to progress with such systems unless mandated to do so. The idea that third party professionals have remote access, are able to assess care at any given moment in time, and retain footage to explain an untoward incident, remains an anathema to providers. The very thing that families consistently request - transparency, clarity, and reassurance - continues to be denied to them. Camera technology systems could potentially be the ‘silver bullet’ the sector has been seeking. It seems to us that despite many other positive initiatives such as training, induction, recruitment screening, and supervision, many unacceptable practices remain. The pandemic has merely magnified those issues and demonstrated how unprepared we actually were to provide oversight and transparency for our most vulnerable during a period of national crisis. Indeed, that community suffered disproportionately when it came to infection rates and subsequent fatalities. While one could argue that this could have been expected given the health vulnerabilities of residents, the reality is that too little was done to protect care home communities. It is CCFTV’s view that a care homes inquiry should consider not just the government’s handling and management of the pandemic, but also the options for addressing the many shortcomings outlined above should such an event ever happen again. CCFTV previously initiated a petition asking the government to consider introducing legislation to require all care providers operating dementia care facilities to install safety monitoring systems in their care homes. It achieved over 10,000 signatures. This was the second petition the government received about use in care facilities.
Regrettably, the government’s response
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com September 2022
to that first petition was ambivalence. It is our fervent hope that, as a consequence of reflecting upon the impact of the pandemic, the resultant lockdowns, and the long periods without third party supervision and regulation, a mindset change will result in adoption of such systems as part of the essential care home toolkit for delivering a high quality, sustainable service.
n
Jayne Connery
Jayne first entered the world of care in 2011 when her mother was diagnosed with dementia. Taking the decision to bring her mother home, Jayne saw an urgent need for greater transparency when caring for the vulnerable – particularly the elderly living with dementia. Deciding to become a care partner to her mother, Jayne admits she did not always know how to effectively communicate with home managers and care providers, and as a family member experiencing care for the first time, she saw that there was no direct support to help navigate the care system. Through CCFTV, Jayne now advises families on how best to communicate with staff and managers to help maintain better relationships so that care packages do not break down. CCFTV offers vital support to families alongside safeguarding teams, social workers, care providers, and complex care teams, and helps to bring about positive resolutions. Jayne’s hope is that, through CCFTV, safety monitoring will be introduced in communal areas in all long-term care and nursing homes. She continues to champion the need for greater transparency, so that everyone living and working in care environments is better protected.
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