by Jennifer Harvey
Older people's care too rarely takes individuality into account. But then, many families have unrealistic expectations of staff.
As people were partying out the closing hours of 2007, I became a first time grandmother.
Everyone wants to know a new baby. What a shame they don't feel the same way about those at the other end of their lives.
The thing about being middle-aged, is that often you are involved with caring for the very young and the old. I've spent much of the last few years doing the latter, and believe me, nobody rings up clamouring to visit them.
Regular complaint
What I do get is "care" centres ringing up saying "please come and collect your mother, as we can't cope with her", and telling me they won't have her again unless she's sedated. This is the third place she's been to where they seem to object to people moving about. "She won't sit down" seems to be a regular complaint.
What is going on? I do my homework, I read the Commission for Social Care Inspection reports, I pick out the care centres offering the most appropriate type of care, where they claim to have trained staff. So why is there no scope for individuality in our older peoples' facilities? They may offer "activities", but if someone refuses to join in, or stands up and walks about, there is either insufficient staffing, or the staff don't have the skills to occupy or engage this type of person. Given that many people with Alzheimer's cannot maintain concentration long enough to sit and drink a cup of tea, let alone play a game of bingo, the lack of understanding in supposedly specialist care facilities is blatantly alarming.
Need a break
Families and carers do not send their loved ones to care centres lightly. They may do it because they need a break, or because they think that "professionals" may care for their loved ones better - because the person is refusing any attempts at personal hygiene and wants to live on sweet tea and cake. There is some expectation that care staff can wave a magic wand and make people have a bath, or eat a balanced diet. If they can, it's called sedation and opens up a whole debate about consent to medication, and freedom of choice.
We'd all be up in arms if nurseries insisted we sedate our children because they're too much trouble when they move around and won't eat their greens. Tea and cake anyone?
Jennifer Harvey works with people with autism.
i totally agree! no individuality just people still in this day and age told to sit in their chairs and move when its time for lunch and toilet. Disgraceful and inhuman! was going to take a man to the local pub to watch a rugby match and my god what a commotion. How is this acceptable and what makes staff think that they can take these choices away from adults yes adults not children but people who have brought up families and had jobs themselves.