Watchdog: 'Care for elderly needs to improve in the North'

Care standards for the elderly could be endangered if pay and conditions for workers are not improved, a Stormont watchdog in the North warned today.

Many are deserting their positions because of poor morale, a report from the Public Accounts Committee said.

Compulsory worker training and criminal record checks compound existing problems for independent providers, the inquiry was told.

“The committee recommends that the department takes steps to raise the status and esteem of the social care profession,” it said.

“The committee advised that failure to address this issue could lead to a shortfall in the standard and supply of domiciliary care services for older people.”

Some workers are paid close to the minimum wage of £5.52 (€6.8) per hour and private companies which provide the care have accused health authorities of failing to set aside enough money.

MLAs today published their ’Report into Older People and Domiciliary Care’ at home. With the number of older people needing care rising, the estimated 12,000 workers can be difficult to retain.

“In the voluntary sector, the lack of guaranteed hours, the low hourly rates payable and the often poor conditions of employment can affect the morale of staff and hinder recruitment and retention of staff,” the paper added.

The committee also expressed concern too many people were being kept too long in hospital because home care had not been arranged.

Its 17 recommendations included:

:: Institutional care should only be used in cases where domiciliary care isn’t feasible.

:: Older people with less serious requirements must not slip through the net, leaving more expensive needs in the future.

:: Care packages should be considered prior to discharge from hospital to prevent admission to a residential or nursing home.

Members considered the method of fines used in the UK where failure to arrange home care for older people prevented discharge from hospital.

They said the Department of Health in the North should carry out further investigation of the system here but acknowledged funding differences between the North and Great Britain.

The Department is introducing better regulation and registration of workers and in 2006 brought in a new training strategy in 2006.

Sinn Féin committee chairman John O’Dowd said: “The Committee was disappointed to find that significant numbers of older people continue to be treated in an institutional setting rather than at home.

“We believe that the Department must be more proactive to ensure that the needs and wishes of older people are central to any decisions on the care process.”

The committee said improving funding and flexibility were crucial areas for progress, with current allocations out of line with growing numbers of old people.

Mr O’Dowd continued: “A key component of better and more successful local care lies in liaising with the independent sector more effectively. The committee considers that, to a large extent, this has not occurred.”

“There are, however, many things to be welcomed – the recognition that the department is giving through new registration and regulation of social care, the introduction of the new minimum care standards in 2006. These are all positive steps.”

Committee member Roy Beggs welcomed a recommendation calling on the Health Department to implement a review of the funding formula expected to provide extra money for care in his East Antrim area.

“This will apply significant pressure on the Department to provide this funding according to the formula agreed in 2004,” he said.

DUP MLA Simon Hamilton said there was ample room for improvement.

This survey showed quite worryingly that one in five older people receiving domiciliary care have had to make a complaint about their care due to problems such as the poor timing of care visits, the flexibility of care staff and their reliability.

“Despite having made these complaints, 20% of older people surveyed didn’t believe that their views would be listened to.

“The Department needs to adopt an approach which regularly gathers information from older people about the quality of their care and then that feedback must be acted upon and lessons learned.”