Care homes probe: Call for change to 'glorified waiting rooms' attitude

CARE homes are seen as nothing more than "glorified waiting rooms" and those attitudes must change if standards are to improve, according to Help the Aged in Scotland.

The charity says that widespread staffing problems are not the only basic issue affecting the industry, although it is seriously concerned about them.

It is equally worried about the approach of many care home staff who it feels do not take pride in their work, a situation which it blames on a stigma attached to working with the elderly, making it difficult to attract and retain the right staff.

Echoing concerns among care home owners, the charity blames "grossly inadequate" funding from councils and the Scottish Government which effectively sets the benchmark for care of the elderly in homes.

Lindsay Scott, spokesman for Help the Aged in Scotland, said: "Staffing levels are a real concern for us and what people are getting paid is the big driver behind this. But it is not just the pay, there seems to be a lack of pride in the job, and there still seems to be this stigma attached to working with the elderly.

"Until we address the pay and conditions then this will not change.

As a society we need to get away from this idea that care homes are just glorified waiting rooms."

The cost of providing free personal care for the elderly has put greater pressure on care homes, according to one senior social worker who asked not to be named.

She said: "The big change in recent years has been the introduction of free personal care and the impact this has had on council's budgets. Things are really tight now and this obviously trickles down to the level of care available at the homes."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government attaches great importance to ensuring the wellbeing and dignity of our most vulnerable older people. Between 2001 and 2007 the Scottish Government and local authorities provided over £240 million in additional funding to increase care home fees. These fees now include a specific element linked to improving the quality of care."

Councillor Paul Edie, the health and social care leader at Edinburgh City Council, added: "The council is committed to providing older people with high quality residential care should they need it. We are in the middle of building four new care homes, each with a 60-bed capacity.

"The first home, Marionville Court, opened in 2007 and the second home, Castlegreen, opened in December 2007. We are also keenly aware that many older people want to stay in their own homes where possible and Live Well in Later Life, our joint plan for older people, is actively addressing this fact. In the recent budget an additional £6.2m per year was allocated for care of older people."


'A paltry £2.92 a day is all a resident has at their disposal'

THERE is probably a widespread perception that once an older person goes to live in a care home their daily needs are taken care of.

If however you happen to be one of the 29,400 care home residents in Scotland who depend on something called the Personal Expenses Allowance you may have a different view. This allowance is what a care home resident is allowed to keep once all of their care costs have been met by the local authority. Sometimes referred to as "pocket money" this paltry sum of £2.92 a day is all a resident has at their disposal to cover the cost of everything except their care.

Clothes seem an obvious expenditure but after regular poundings in commercial laundries items of clothing need to be replaced much more frequently.

Other items which need to be paid for include toiletries, haircuts, snacks, taxis for those who want to go out now and again, telephone calls, stamps, cards, presents, newspapers, books, biscuits for visitors, an occasional glass of sherry or whatever you fancy, raffle tickets or an organised trip. In fact everything most of us take for granted. Imagine just having £20 in your pocket each week and having to pay for everything other than food and housing costs.

Age Concern Scotland is currently fighting to have the allowance increased, and we have presented a petition with more than 5000 signatures to the Scottish Parliament.

• David Manion is chief executive of Age Concern Scotland