Abuse and poor nutrition uncovered in care homes

Abuse, a lack of cleanliness and poor nutrition have been uncovered in care homes by an undercover investigation by consumer group Which?.

Which? magazine sent three actors to four different care homes for a week and discovered shocking treatment.

One witnessed a staff member dragging a resident to the toilet by their arm and pushing another resident in the head when trying to stand up. In another case, a resident waited over half an hour for pain relief despite calling for help.

Rooms were found with damp walls and collapsing ceilings.

The investigators noted there was often a lack of activity for residents and one home never completed any of the activities on its daily timetable.

Nutrition was poor with dieticians estimating the food at one home did not have adequate calories. However, there were some instances of good practice with another home having freshly produced local food.

Which? has subsequently challenged the Care Quality Commission to increase its regulation of all homes to ensure that such practice is eradicated.