Carefound Welcomes EHRC Home Care Report

Published 05 December 2011.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (“EHRC”) recently released a report, ‘Close to Home: An Enquiry into Older People and Human Rights in Home Care’, summarising the findings of an inquiry into whether the human rights of elderly people wanting or receiving care in their own homes are promoted and protected. The report found that although around half of elderly people who gave evidence are satisfied with the home care service they are receiving, there were many alarming instances where human rights have been breached. Examples of common complaints made include a lack of support to eat or drink, physical abuse, neglect of personal care, financial abuse, inflexibility and a lack of respect for privacy and dignity.

Oliver Stirk, Director of Carefound, commented: “Local authorities have increasingly commissioned home care services from third party providers on a contract basis. The findings of the EHRC report clearly demonstrate that this commissioning process has resulted in unacceptable inadequacies in the level of care received by many elderly people. As the price paid for home care services by local authorities has been driven down, many home care providers have become focused on the logistics and cost of providing care, rather than the safety, dignity and independence of those individuals involved.”

Carefound operates its North Yorkshire-based home care service in a very different way, which it believes is key to providing high quality care that is focused on the needs and feelings of elderly people and their families. Examples of this approach include:

• Detailed assessment of the exact care needs of each Client prior to providing help plus ongoing monitoring by a qualified Home Care Manager, ensuring that the care service provided always matches the needs of each individual
• Fully flexible service ranging from 1 hour to 24 hours per day, with the time and length of visits based on each Clients’ needs and wishes
• Professional, well trained home care team which is encouraged to undertake ongoing professional development
• Absolute focus on continuity of care enabling Clients to enjoy the company of their home carer (who is always introduced to the Client prior to providing support)
• Constant communication with Clients, their families and other care providers ensuring that any concerns are recognised at the earliest stage possible

Oliver Stirk added: “At Carefound we do not operate under contracts with local authorities. We seek to provide the highest quality home care service by delivering care on an individual basis – this ensures that the needs of each Client are met at all times. We believe that the system under which care is provided in the UK needs to undergo fundamental change and until it enables care providers to provide a truly personalised service many elderly people will continue to experience the poor levels of care that have been highlighted by this latest EHRC inquiry.”

Carefound is a provider of high quality home care services to elderly people in North Yorkshire, enabling clients to continue to live independently in the comfort of their own home whilst maintaining the highest quality of life achievable. Services provided include basic help in the home, companionship and personal care, and the Carefound home care team is trained in specialist conditions such as dementia. The flexible service ranges from 1 hour to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, including bank holidays, and can also encompass 24-hour Live-In Care services.Situated in the Harrogate area of North Yorkshire, Carefound offers a truly unique elderly care service with the individual firmly at its heart and is able to provide services to clients in surrounding towns and villages including (but not limited to) Harrogate, Wetherby, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Ripon and Thirsk. For more information please telephone 01423 774070 or visit www.carefound.co.uk.

Source: Carefound, Equality and Human Rights Commission.