'Everyone has heard of Baby P, but there's a different reaction when it comes to the abuse of older people'
15 April 2009
From poor customer service to infuriating call centres staffed by low-paid workers who will chat about the weather but can't solve the simplest of problems, we have come to accept mediocrity as the norm.
Our reticence to cause a fuss is not just confined to the trivial. According to research by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, many elderly patients and their families feel unable to air grievances about substandard hospital care.
Two-thirds of NHS beds are occupied by patients over 65. The majority have pre-existing mental health problems and, while there are undoubted pockets of excellence, there is also evidence of patients becoming malnourished, dehydrated and suffering painful bedsores under the supposedly watchful eye of trained professionals.
Since the launch of the Government's drive for dignity in care, the emotional and physical needs of the country's ageing population were supposed to have taken centre stage. In a draft document released towards the end of last year, the NMC advised its staff to beware of calling elderly patients "love", called for improvements to ward privacy and raised concerns about general hygiene.
However, despite the deluge of new guidance and high profile initiatives, the charity Action on Elder Abuse believes little has changed.
Abridged
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