Panorama: Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 21:28

For those with access to bbc iPlayer



http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011pwt6/Panorama_Undercover_Care_The_Abuse_Exposed/



Just watched this and am lost for words. Distressing and upsetting does not even begin to describe it.

Teresa


Joined: 21/11/2007
Posts: 1018

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 21:45

Erolz i watched it yesterday and am not ashamed to say i cried. These are some of societys most vulnerable people being left in what is supposed to be a caring home. Makes me feel sick to think that they can be abused like this and that there are so many unqualified people "looking after them".

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 21:49

Indeed Teresa. As shocking as the abuse was , and it was indeed truly shocking, just as disturbing to me was the apparent systematic failure of the government regulator to do its job. Even when warned repeatedly by a senior professional working there of the abuse nothing was done until panorama's hidden cameras went into the place. I am not easily affected by such programs but this one really did disturb me.

billyboy1


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 590

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:04

i watched it also on tv the other night, i agree fully with what has been said above, i cried and felt physically sick.....



i await to find out what the police investigation brings up.......hope they deffo get prison and get some of there own medicine...

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:29

Yes, I too was upset by the programme. I was relieved to hear that the police are now going to prosecute the staff. I was amazed that the worker with the hidden camera did not intervene sooner.In particular during the bathroom, cold water incidents. How did he remain calm and how did he manage to stop himself from intervening? I would have simply forgotten my role as reporter and immediately phoned the police.



I wonder how many complaints this place had received prior to the filming, if there was a big staff turnover or other obvious signs that something was wrong, but more importantly how this could have gone on without it being picked up on until secret filming? Surely there were others in the home like porters, cleaners, cooks etc that must have witnessed the abuse?



Extremely worrying and my heart goes out to the poor parents who witnessed the abuse from the filming. I'm sure the images will stay with them forever.

keith


Joined: 03/04/2007
Posts: 272

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:38

Yes i agree with the above and i would throw away the key for these people who did it.

Keith

ImnEr


Joined: 11/05/2010
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:47

Im not saying that this is widespread because in our experience we worked for a care company that assured that people were treated as individuals and allowed to make their own decisions about their lives, these were people with learning difficulties and challeging behaviour.Someone in a higher authority decided to change how registered homes were inspected- they now inform homes when they will be inspected rather than the old system of just a knock on the door. This gives "bad" homes a chance to be prepared for inspection rather than the inspectorate seeing it as it is every day. Just another bad government decision and a convenient way to cover up really bad practice. We know this to be true for a fact. Well done Panorama and well down the whistleblower who obviously got in touch with the BBC. This is a very vulnerable group of people who are obviously not understood by the staff who are in effect being paid by the service users who live there. Absolutley shocking footage.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:47

Bloody hell, beyond belief.



Richard

ImnEr


Joined: 11/05/2010
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 22:54

Just another point - this "home " is being flagged by social services departments as a flag ship care home which caters for people who have profound disabilities. The fees are extremely high as it professes to have a highly qualified staff team to provide a high level of support to very vulnerable people. Interesting reading on Castlebeck web page.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
02/06/2011 23:08

It beggars belief that this could happen in a so called civilised country.

eagleyemonkey


Joined: 21/03/2010
Posts: 184

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 12:10

This is happening more than anyone would like to think.

This will be the start of the exposure perhaps.

0maintenance


Joined: 22/09/2010
Posts: 2179

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 12:22

I thought it was common knowledge but was always swept under the carpet so to speak.



Social services,ohh is that what you call them!



your having a larff aint you.



My parents brought my grandfather to live with them many years ago after he had a stroke.



They wished to go on holiday to new zealand and found 1 place that offerd ressprite care,did i spell it correct! anyway he went to stay there for 1 month and returned back home after the holiday.



He really did tell us some shocking stories regarding some of the staff,by the way,it was private run not council,personally i think some form of abuse will be happening in every care home.



SHALL I NOW TAKE COVER !

eagleyemonkey


Joined: 21/03/2010
Posts: 184

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 19:10

I agree 0maintenance.

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 21:02

Totally agree Omaintenance had experience of lots being swept under the carpet by Social services just give this whistle blower one hell of a pat on the back and hope more come forward.

Teresa


Joined: 21/11/2007
Posts: 1018

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 22:14

Going back about 18 years i was registered manager of a home for the elderly and i can say hand on heart that none of the 24 residents we had there were ever treated badly by my staff, as for social services we were supposed to have 2 visits a year either announced or unannounced. In my 3 years there we never had an unannounced visit. Our residents were a mixture of elderly with medical problems and those suffering from dementia. I always trained my staff to treat our residents how they would like t be treated. It is a hard job and at times you are faced with problems, having things thrown at you anything from a cup of tea to a full comode but that is part of the job. Social services need to change their visiting policy and do at least 1 unannounced visit per year on every home that is registered.

Riddles


Joined: 26/04/2011
Posts: 429

Message Posted:
03/06/2011 22:30

15 messages on this forum....if this had been a dog abuse story there'd be hundreds!

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 00:28

Just as shocking is that the same abuses are being perpetrated in UK hospital wards, particularly towards the elderly. The government has only got as far as concurring with a report that many hospitals are not providing the service that patients are entitled to including failure to ensure that patients receive food.