Last Night’s TV – Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?
Oh god. What a depressing film this was, but a necessary one since no less than 250,000 Britons can expect to develop dementia and may well find themselves put into one of these homes where the prefix, ‘care’ may or may not be a true description of the treatment you – or I – will receive. It also compounded my resolve to take something akin to the Hemmingway Solution should I ever suspect I might have dementia.
Dementia is one of the cruelest of diseases since it robs the sufferer not only of their memories, but their entire personality too. And often, as we saw many times last night, it can also plunge victims into a nightmare existence where everyone is out to hurt them.
“You’re trying to kill me!” screeched Elsie as a care assistant tried to sort out her cardi. This is a regular occurrence it seems and I suspect Elsie’s cardi was straightened out to demonstrate for the camera some of the nastier sides to dementia as well as what staff in these places have to cope with.
I was a tad uncomfortable with the thought that Elsie was, like a tiger in a circus, poked with a stick to make her perform. Elsie, just like all the other residents of these establishments, is a real person with a real life story. It’s shockingly horrible that she’s destined to be permanently afraid for what remains of her life.
Gerry Robinson showed touching concern and empathy with and for many of those he met with last night. And not just the patients/residents but the overworked and often under-trained staff too. He met with one nurse – who was also the manager of one of the care homes – Jane, who, while she might be a brilliant nurse in general, had so little training in dementia care that she didn’t know what the acronym EMI stood for. It’s ‘elderly mental infirm’ by the way, in case you missed the programme.
Just as an aside, I wonder which government employee sits around thinking such things up? Did whoever it was have a little giggle as they noted that it’s also the name of a record label?
But of course, that’s by the by, and what Gerry uncovered in this first part of his investigation was that dementia care homes are like much else in the world; some are good, some are bad, some are very good and some are very bad.
One thing that seemed common to them all though was the singularly unpleasant fact that in the main, most residents of these homes sit around whiling away what time is left to them with little or no meaningful stimulation. They’re in God’s waiting room, and it wasn’t pleasant to see.
And in some of the less well run homes, the residents aren’t even allowed to go outside to enjoy the sunshine and get some fresh air because there aren’t enough staff to supervise them.
How very sad.
We’ll get to hear Gerry’s proposal in part two of this programme, and I hope, I really hope, he can come up with ways to brighten and improve the lot of dementia sufferers who find themselves in one of these homes.
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I too found this programme fascinating and being the industry that I work in, was actually embarrassed by some of what was shown but which is all too prevalent. We’ve been following the issue of dementia care and care funding in general at our blog http://www.carehomes.whereforcare.com/blog
This is an extremely important topic (as is care in care homes in general) and I missed this first episode. Would’nt you think it would be repeated sometime between last night and next week ? Eastenders is, along with other earth shatteringly important items. No. Not on BBC1,2,3 or 4. That’s absolutely rubbish, BBC. With nothing filling your BBC3 and 4 slots all day couldn’t you slip something as important as this is in somewhere. Yes, I know it’s probably on i-player or something. I don’t want to be stuck up in the office watching programmes there, thank you.
I found the whole programme absolutely tear jerking. The uncaring staff sleeping through their shifts whilst the Old Folks alarm cords were tied out of reach. The old lady last week asking “Where am I?” for over half an hour while the staff took no notice. And last night the dear old man, lying down because he only had one leg, no-one tried to sit him up so he could see what was going on. While being encouraged to paint the shed door he agreed that it “felt like he was living again” and the poignant bit at the end when he asked Gerry to get him out of this dump!
I cannot believe that we allow this in the 21st Century, shame on all those responsible; but also well done the good homes for showing the true potential of progressive elderly care.
We should be ashamed of ourselves! This programme should be compulsory viewing for all care home ( dementia or otherwise) proprietors, staff, council and government members responsible in any way for any element of policy . It was heartbreaking . Thankyou Sir Gerry – please do what you can to follow this through.
This was a thought provoking and sad insight into the state of nursing homes around the country. Shame on the people in authority, as well feeling so sorry for the poor residents I also felt the staff were mis informed and had no one to lead them. Well done to the other nursing home that encouraged older people to live life and give them respect and dignity. It was a very upsetting programme I was in tears at the end Gerry Robinson thank you for highlighting this. I am from Ireland and I would like to see these programmes about Irish care homes as I think a lot of things are hidden under the carpet.
Dear sir Robinson
I write in support of the poor quality of care patients is receiving from care home and they staff, i was once working at BUPA care home in Battersea which has over 300 room with 4 level of floor and from my experience patients were hit in they head by carers, a train Nurse were abusing a patient who was bed bound and had bed sore by dressing the open wound with toilet tissue. Time is always a issue at this firm because of the high livel of short of staff 4-5 or staff on day duty on each floor which means 7-8 patients to one staff many staff are over work by having to do long hours 8am-8pm with a limited lunch break of 45 min as a result of this situation patients receive poor care from staff because carerer cannot cope with the heavy load of work to proform they duties, because management wants to cut back on finance, this home has a history of neglecting patients and abrusing them. A lot more to uncover about this home.