New survey highlights home care failings

A new report from consumer watchdog Which? has uncovered serious failings in the standard of home care provided to elderly patients across the UK.

Following a survey of 926 Which? Connect Panel members and an assessment of diaries compiled by 30 older people, the organisation has suggested that patient safety is often being compromised by poorly-managed care.

47 percent of survey respondents reported a missed visit in the past six months – with no advance warning in 62 percent of these cases – while incidents of patient neglect, rushing workers and forgotten medication were also recorded.

Many of the patients and families concerned said they only received a good standard of service after making complaints, while many service providers highlighted the difficulty of maintaining care quality in the face of pressure to make savings.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "The government can no longer claim to be shocked as report after report highlights the pitiful state of care for older people."

Responding to the report, Care Quality Commission chief executive Cynthia Bower said a themed inspection programme of 250 providers of domiciliary care services will be carried out from April 2012 onwards, in order to address issues such as these.