13.02.13
26% of home care services fail to meet standards – CQC
A quarter of home care services are failing to meet quality and safety standards, a new report suggests. The CQC reviewed 250 services against five key national standards.
The CQC found that on many occasions people received no prior notice that they would be visited by a care worker they didn’t know, and visits were often delayed or sometimes cancelled without prior notice.
Other concerns included failure to regularly assess risks associated with a person’s care or medical condition, and some services did not have clear systems to monitor quality and information in care plans.
David Behan, CQC chief executive, said: “People have a right to expect to be treated as an individual, to be able to exercise choice, and to make sure their carers are aware of their specific care needs. We found plenty of evidence of this however we also found elements of poor care which happen too often.”
Michelle Mitchell, director-general of Age UK, said: “There must be a zero-tolerance attitude to poor, neglectful care.”
Cllr David Rogers, of the Local Government Association, said: “As this report highlights, even the very best efforts of councils are not enough to avert the real and growing crisis we are facing in ensuring older people receive the care they deserve. The stark reality is that the current care system is underfunded and not fit for purpose.”
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