Hidden truth

ALMOST a year after disputing a report of “large scale inefficiencies and a complete absence of regulation” in home care for the elderly, the HSE is finally to begin a review into the standard of care being provided to 65,000 people looked after in their own homes.

Last February, a report by the Irish Private Home Care Association claimed a lack of regulation meant “a total of 57,581 seniors are availing of home care that is not monitored to ensure they receive quality home care services”.

At the time, the Health Service Executive said that while it acknowledged that there was no statutory basis for regulation and inspection of home care services, “the HSE does supervise its home help staff”.

Now, in light of damning footage of the treatment of patients exposed by a four-month long investigation by RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates, the HSE has been forced to launch a review of care for all patients.

The programme found that numerous companies were hiring staff with no formal training, no Garda vetting and no reference checks.

It also recorded one home care business operator telling an undercover RTÉ employee that she will mislead the client’s family about the carer’s lack of adequate training.

In one case, a client told how €1,250 and £350 was stolen from him by a carer who then returned home to his native country. The client said he still could not get a response from the owner of the company about his complaint.

There was also footage of an elderly person apparently being force-fed and a client given medicine by someone not qualified to do so.

In the wake of last night’s programme, statements were released by a number of organisations working with the elderly, all condemning the lack of regulation.

“The rapid increase in the number of unregistered and unregulated private ‘care in the home’ companies should be of huge concern,” said Dermot Kirwan on behalf of Friends of the Elderly.

“The horrible fact is that the taxi industry is more regulated than this sector. Many have been started by business people who have purchased franchises from international home care corporations. Some of these people have no experience and no understanding of the home care sector.”

Liam O’Sullivan of Care Alliance said, in the absence of regulations, poor practices will continue, including inadequate training, support and supervision.

However, the HSE issued a statement in which it said this year it would spend €341 million providing home care services to over 60,000 people including older people, people with a disability, and mental health clients.

“The majority, in excess of 90%, of home care services are provided directly by HSE staff, many of whom are qualified clinical staff,” it said. “Independent surveys carried out in 2009 on behalf of the HSE indicated that there is a good level of satisfaction with services provided under the Home Care Packages scheme.”

Nonetheless, Minister for Older People Áine Brady said the behaviour and practices shown by RTÉ breached in an unacceptable way the trust that should exist between providers of care “be they public or private”.

* If a person wants to report a concern with a home care service, contact the HSE information line on 1850 242850.