Elderly people abused in hospitals and care homes

Elderly people are being “mistreated and abused” in hospitals and care homes, according to a new report. by Chris Irvine Age Concern criticises the lack of progress made a year on from a parliamentary report that recommended an “entire culture change” to tackle human rights abuses experienced by older people in the NHS and care system. The new report includes examples of older people being left to sit in their own excrement or denied food and water because the staff are too busy, being left naked in front of other patients, or being heavily sedated so they are easier to care for. The charity says although some progress has been made by the Government, more needs to be done to improve the quality of health and care services. It says human rights is an “invisible issue” in health and social care. Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: “Failing to meet basic rights is not acceptable. No one should have to go without help with eating and drinking or using the toilet, yet this is still happening everyday in hospitals and care homes. It’s horrendous that people are still being mistreated and abused.” Norma Scott said her father died of renal failure after the way he was treated in a Yorkshire hospital. She said: “We were told my father needed to be given extra fluids for his kidneys, but he wasn’t given any help to drink water or to pass fluids. He couldn’t use the water jug left by his bed as he couldn’t sit up. “After six days I spoke to a doctor. When a drip and catheter was fitted, two litres of urine were drained off. He died of renal failure. “My father should not have been treated this way. It took months to get my complaint heard and I have been battling for many more months to get the hospital to implement the Action Plan. No one checks change has happened – it’s all taken on trust.”