Probe into care reports reveals chronic shortages

Dec 11 2011 by Liz Walker, Sunday Sun

VULNERABLE pensioners in North care homes are being hauled out of bed and dressed at 4am in a bid to battle staff shortages, the Sunday Sun can reveal.

The shocking practice where night workers wake up, dress, wash and move residents, often dementia sufferers, has been happening because often day shift staff don’t have time to get everyone up.

It has happened at three care homes in our region – one which has since been reinspected and has now met all required standards – and two which have been warned to improve.

The revelations were uncovered after anonymous tip-offs about Washington Grange care home, Barmston, Washington, and Windermere Grange Care Home, Middlesbrough.

Windermere Grange has since been reinspected and has now met all required standards. But Washington Grange still needs to make further changes.

Privately run Astley House in Seaton Delaval, North Tyneside, has also been given a formal warning for allegedly waking residents up from 5.30am. They have been warned to improve or face further action. The Sunday Sun found that 95 out of 953 care homes in the North – 1 in 10 – failed to meet Government standards.

We accessed Care Quality Commission inspection reports for the scores of sub standard homes across the region.

Redcar MP Ian Swales sits on the influential public accounts committee in parliament.

He told the Sunday Sun it was time councils had more power to come in and force an inspection onto care homes.

The Liberal Democrat MP said: “These cases highlight the need for rigorous monitoring of care homes and sustainable financial models.

“The Southern Cross example shows that if care home operators handle their affairs badly then these sort of incidents will occur.

“Many operators do provide a good service but to see that being the case everywhere you need better regulations. Monitoring should be a role councils carry out, they should be empowered to take charge and force care homes to work at the highest standards.”

Last night Sharon Hodgson, MP for Sunderland, also condemned the treatment of the residents.