New star ratings for care homes in England have been criticised for giving a misleading impression.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) gave 70% of providers a three star (excellent) or two star (good) rating.
But the charity Age Concern says many homes may have been given a one star (adequate) undeservedly.
Its research found cases in which inspections had failed to establish residents were treated respectfully.
A number of other homes remain unrated either because they are newly registered, or they did not consent to their provisional rating being used for the star system.
The CSCI argues that the ratings, alongside detailed inspection reports, give users and potential users of care services a comprehensive picture of the quality of care on offer.
But Age Concern said a survey of 50 reports on one star homes inspected in 2007-08 found more than half had either not been assessed on whether they treated residents with respect, or had recorded a failing score.
Gordon Lishman, Age Concern director general, said: "Treating older people in care homes with respect is not an optional extra.
Mr Lishman said people should read the whole report on any home they are interested in, rather than relying on the headline star rating.
However, when writing reports inspectors grouped a number of outcomes together to form their judgements, and dignity and respect might not always get a specific mention.
"The rating given to a service is an overall guide to its quality. CSCI, like Age Concern, recommends that people looking for a care service should read the inspection report and visit the care home in question before choosing to live there."
SOURCE: BBCNews
-----------------------------------------------------
More Recent Posts from Spotlight on Elder Abuse
No comments:
Post a Comment