WGPlus (Archive)
| Some Councils seem to have forgotten their ‘Duty of Care’ |
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Editor; Two items in this newsletter illustrate the continuing ‘problems’ Councils appear to be having in providing ‘fair & equitable care home provision’. While appreciating budgets have been severely reduced, ‘sharp practice’ by Councils and Care Homes is not something Society can accept as the norm. Firstly; Councils across England are being reminded of the need to offer affordable care home placements to families when arranging relatives’ care, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman into Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Secondly; the CMA has published the initial findings of its care homes market study, and is investigating if some homes are breaking consumer law. The market study was launched in December 2016 to examine whether the residential care homes sector is working well for elderly people and their families. Having reached the halfway point of the study, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published emerging findings and announced that, as a result of information received during this work, it has opened a consumer protection case to investigate its concerns that some care homes may be breaking consumer law. This is focused on concerns about certain care homes charging families for extended periods after a resident has died, and homes charging large upfront fees. The initial findings of the market study highlight wider concerns about the sector, which will form the focus of the next phase of its work. |
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National Ombudsmen finds systemic fault in council’s charging policy for Dudley care homes NO: Family charged thousands of pounds for care a nursing home could not prove it had provided CMA outlines emerging concerns in care homes market Citizens Advice responds to CMA care home investigation update Care system 'buckling' says Age UK as major care homes investigation launches What is the state of ‘God’s waiting rooms’? The NHS is not the only ‘care service’ with a funding ‘Black Hole’ Well it makes better sense than just ‘bill the middle-class who have savings’ LGA responds to Independent Age report on care homes Principia vanguard reduces A&E attendances by 29% for care home residents Health & social care integration NICE calls on care homes to prioritise the oral health of residents Information for people on their visiting rights in care homes Age UK: Older people who pay their own way in care homes struggling to get a ‘fair deal’ People in residential care to keep more of their money How the care homes vanguards can bring together local health and care systems Two leading clinicians offer an insight into the work of the care homes vanguards |
