Lib Dems see training as key to improving elderly care

LIBERAL Democrats will push for a major improvement in the way care staff are trained amid concerns vulnerable elderly people face abuse and harassment when being looked after at home.

Care Minister Norman Lamb warned yesterday that some older people face an “assault on their dignity” from home care workers and care homes whose standards fall far short of what is expected.

Delegates at the Lib Dem party conference in Glasgow backed a motion calling for better training and pay for care workers along with a tougher oversight regime to stamp out bad practice.

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“Conference is concerned that poor employment practices, unrealistic targets, unequal distribution of funds, lack of training, and proper support for care staff has led to abuse, bullying and harassment,” the motion warned.

Mr Lamb spoke movingly about the “unacceptable care” he had witnessed in his own constituency in rural Norfolk, highlighting the plight of one elderly constituent.

“She told me there is constant turnover of staff doing personal care, with men she had never seen before showering her,” he said. “This sort of treatment is an assault on your dignity.

“She had one care worker who had had one day of training; one worker who gave her wrong pills; and one night, no-one turned up at all. She was left in her chair overnight. This is unacceptable.”

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The Minister insisted a beefed-up Care Quality Commission –the social care watchdog – would make a difference, along with a more “joined-up” approach between social services and the NHS - but that the quality of the carers remains the fundamental issue.

“There needs to be proper training, career progression, and reward for people who work in care to make sure that we attract – and keep – the very best people,” he said.