Why you should still have faith in the care sector

For those of you who saw the shocking evidence on Panorama's ‘Behind Closed Doors: Elderly Care Exposed’, you will probably have a diminished view of the care system but don’t lose all hope…

By Personnel Checks.

Remember these are isolated incidents, close to the hearts of many people and why they create such an uproar which makes the public think this is how all care homes are run.

In reality the majority of people have a great experience at care homes as they are looked after by dedicated carers who are passionate about their job and the care industry and take great pride in ensuring that those under their care have a great quality of life.

Panorama revealed disturbing and upsetting footage of people in the care industry abusing those in their care, leaving the residents distressed, scared and lonely which is certainly not acceptable and we’re sure will be dramatically improved by the airing of this programme.

However the majority of residents often have a better quality of life in a care home and are able to flourish as they have a community of friends all in the same situation which allows residents to socialise on a daily basis which wouldn’t necessarily happen in their home, especially if they live alone. The residents also have round the clock medical and emotional support from staff to make sure they are happy and at ease whilst at the home.

The main problem with the media only showing the negative side of care homes is that no faith is being restored into the care system therefore families and the public fear having to place their relatives into a care home. Because of this, families may not decide to place their relatives in care which in turn could deprive the relative of the care and attention they deserve and may need in later life.

Unfortunately this is becoming a vicious circle as the sector’s reputation is damaged, it then becomes more difficult to get aid from the government for funding and regulation which in turn makes the experience for relatives lower quality.

Demos have conducted a recent study into care home perceptions which found that fewer than 1 in 4 adults would now be willing to move into a care home and half of those admitted it was because of fears of abuse or neglect.

A positive to this study was that the people who had direct experience with care homes in the past had a more positive view of moving into one themselves which is testament to the great work being done in the majority of care homes in the UK.

Not only is the job as a care worker physically tiring it’s emotionally draining too. Carers also often have to deal with losing people who they would have cared for dearly. On the other hand the job as a care worker can be incredibly rewarding knowing that you have done everything you can to ensure the happiness of others and hopefully people’s perceptions in the care industry will stay positive despite the recent media revelations. As a registered umbrella body with the DBS (disclosure & barring service) we understand the importance of running thorough background checks on employees and know from experience where this has prevented unsuitable candidates from working with people in care. Of course not all people that abuse others will have a previous criminal record but it helps future employees make sound recruitment decisions based on the check and the recent media revelations have revealed how abusing the trust of residents is detrimental to a company.