Extortion of the elderly

[Anna B]

9 minutes ago, crookesey said:

In many cases care homes are simply keeping alive the ones that would have died of natural causes. I’m at an age to categorically state that I will end my own life rather than face the indignity of being part of some care home owner’s life style, think what you wish.

Just what I've been thinking.

 

[Anna B]

23 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

 

Excellent example.   This is what so many people always seem to fail to understand.  They bang on about costs of healthcare, medication, residential care without a clue how much it actually is in reality.   They scream profiteering and extortion without a clue on what these facilities have offer, provide, regulate beyond normal businesses. 

 

Its the same when idiots do all these Facebook/twitter posts about Cruise ships vs care homes.   Boasting about how its all so much cheaper to sail the world.  Yeah, until you need a medic for your debilitating condition halfway across the Caribbean sea or you deludely expect the cabin attendants to dispense your medications, lift you out of bed or wipe your backside for you.....

 

So using your central hotel example, that's £137 per night x 7 nights   = £959.  Even the cheapest of the cheapest 2 star guest house accommodation in the Sheffield Area is around £40 per night x 7 = £280 per week  BEFORE we even start with costs of providing three meals a day, specialist aids, equipment, administering medications, patient administration, enhanced levels of staffing, enhanced insurance policies, enhanced regulation compliance......

 

YES some of them are profit making but that's business.  To declare it "extortion" is just nonsense.   Minimum wage is currently £11.44 per hour - a 9% increase since last year and over a 75% increase since its £6.40 figure a decade ago.    Out of interest average annual care home costs in 2024 are £1160 per week.  A decade ago they were £800 so about a 45% increase.  

 

What is really causing the dramatic rises in costs.   Those "extortionate" businesses or the fleshy parts staffing it or both....  hmmm.  

 

Expensive? Yet we can fund Asylum seekers and economic migrants in hotels, but not subsidise pensioners in care homes?

 

Re: my Scarborough experience. The good breakfast provided kept me going all day, Tea and coffee provided in room, bought a pub meal or snack in the evening.

 

Lifts to all rooms, all ensuite with shower or bath, own walking aids etc, TV in room. Daily Bingo, a feature film, and Live entertainment was free.

 

And at least if I had washing to do I would get my own clothes back, which often doesn't happen in a care home.

You over-rate what care homes are like. I've experienced quite a few, Some aren't bad, but I could tell you quite a few horror stories about abysmal care (or total lack of it.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony]

7 minutes ago, Anna B said:

 

... I could tell you quite a few horror stories about abysmal care (or total lack of it.) 

 

 

That is no joke. You should take it up with the CQC immediately. https://www.cqc.org.uk 

[ECCOnoob]

8 minutes ago, Anna B said:

 

Expensive? Yet we can fund Asylum seekers and economic migrants in hotels, but not subsidise pensioners in care homes?

 

Re: my Scarborough experience. The good breakfast provided kept me going all day, Tea and coffee provided in room, bought a pub meal or snack in the evening.

 

Lifts to all rooms, all ensuite with shower or bath, own walking aids etc, TV in room. Daily Bingo, a feature film, and Live entertainment was free.

 

And at least if I had washing to do I would get my own clothes back, which often doesn't happen in a care home.

You over-rate what care homes are like. I've experienced quite a few, Some aren't bad, but I could tell you quite a few horror stories about abysmal care (or total lack of it.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....and at what point did the hotel owner come and lift and carry you out of bed? Take you back and forth to the toilet?  wipe your backside? Change your dressings? , spoon feed you?  dispense your medication?

 

No you underestimate the responsibilities of care home, its regulation, its complexities,, the service it mandatory has to provide. 

 

As I said earlier, comparisons with  hotel or B&B accommodation is just misguided. 

 

I am not getting into the whole debate about asylum seekers because it's totally relevant. Different purpose, different needs, different challenges, different budget and it's something we (like most civilised countries) have to provide as part of our duties under the  conventions. 

 

Yes, there are occasionally failures and horror stories as there are any institution as but you are still deluded to think it's the same comparing your golden oldies break to the seaside with the needs and demands of a care home.   Plenty of those residents can't even get themselves on the pot, let alone pop out for a nice pub meal in the evening 🙄

[Resident]

The hotel comparison is a bit of a fallacy. 

Generally, as I've found with most hotels I've stayed in, the longer the stay, the lower the daily rate.

I spent 3 weeks in a hotel, mid range, not budget and the daily rate worked out to be around £35/night. Stayed in the same hotel for 2 nights another time and the rate was 56/night

Nearest care facility to me costs a minimum of £1100/week, has 65 rooms, currently all booked up. So rakes in £3.7million per year. 

It's operated by HC-One, who made profits of over £42 million last year.

[Anna B]

1 minute ago, Tony said:

 

That is no joke. You should take it up with the CQC immediately. https://www.cqc.org.uk 

i have done. Very lonn and arduous process. Very hard to prove or find the person / people responsible. Very experienced in covering their tracks and putting on a good show for the benefit of QVC inspections. Also CQC reviews are very mixed and diffiicult to read, to pin down the important stuff that really matters.  But things like bed sores and falls are generally accepted as normal these days even in the NHS.

 

Ignore the expensive glossy brochures, IMO the things to watch out for if choosing a care home is the smell, the atmosphere, is it welcoming? Ask if you could stay for a meal one day? Staffing ratios, do they have volunteers? (or offer to volunteer and see what the reaction is.) Try and talk to actual care workers / staff, strike up a casual conversations, Are they happy in their jobs, how long have they worked there? Is there a high turnover of staff? Are carers off sick much? Who leads all the activities? What trips if they're able do they do? Do they welcome visitors, can you call any time (within reason.) Are you encouraged to  participate and help? Would they want their own mothers there? Be friendly. |Try and talk to residents too,

 

Make more than one visit, call without an appointment (leave something behind and call another day to collect it.  How do they react) Are they friendly, open or cagey? Remember no place is perfect, people make mistakes, and it's a difficult job so give them some slack, But get a feel for it and ultimately trust your gut. 

[crookesey]

In the unlikely event of me out living my wife and our son harbouring thoughts of confining me to a nursing home I will do the following. Change my will to the effect of, if I end up in a home all of it going to the dog’s home on the proviso that they send a good wishes card to him on each anniversary of my death. 😉

[crisispoint]

2 hours ago, El Cid said:

 

I have a 97-year-old relative, who is not in a care home, he has been in hospital for periods and he is not quite bedbound, he has bed sores and has fallen.

Are these things normal, I have no experience of elderly care. But I do know they fall over easily and that can lead to their death.

I wish I knew, I've no experience of this my parents and grand parents all lived long lives but all died either in hospital of a final terminal illness, not sure that makes sense, but I know what I mean, or at home with all their marbles, with a final illness.

[crisispoint]

I am told if outside care is needed, then the care home decision can be taken out of the families hands and a care home then becomes compulsory, there are also differences in care home quality, but as I said before I've no first hand experience. I feel really lucky in that, so far.

[cressida]

7 minutes ago, crisispoint said:

I am told if outside care is needed, then the care home decision can be taken out of the families hands and a care home then becomes compulsory, there are also differences in care home quality, but as I said before I've no first hand experience. I feel really lucky in that, so far.

What if they can't pay?