Oops! Its happened again! Evidence of the continuing abuse of older people in care homes
| Pages | 33-46 |
| Published date | 12 February 2018 |
| Date | 12 February 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-06-2017-0026 |
| Author | Steve Moore |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Oops! Its happened again! Evidence
of the continuing abuse of older people
in care homes
Steve Moore
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present findings from an empirical research project designed to
enhance knowledge of the current extent and nature of abuse in contemporary care homes for older people.
Design/methodology/approach –A self-completion, postal questionnaire was used to elicit both
numerical and textual data that was subsequently subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
The questionnaire was distributed to newly appointed care staff in six participating care homes providing care
to older people to determine the nature of any abuse they may have witnessed in the homes in which they had
previously worked.
Findings –A significant proportion of respondents described instances of predominantly psychological and
physical abuse and neglect.
Research limitations/implications –Though the research draws upon the experiences of only 194
anonymous questionnaire respondents, of whom 140 had witnessed abuse; data suggest that abuse
continues to occur in some care homes for older people.
Originality/value –The research has revealed staffs’recent experiences of a range of abusive acts and
practices. Findings suggest that changes are required to current methods of external scrutiny and
investigation of practices in care homes.
Keywords Abuse, Policy change, Empirical research, Policy and practice, Prevalence of abuse,
Private sector care homes, Vulnerable older people at risk
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
As Moore (2017a) recently predicted, the public have again been assailed by covertly recorded
video footage of older people being abused in a care home providing nursing care to people with
dementia. The disturbing moving images and sounds of what appeared to be neglect and verbal
abuse at Crawford’s Walk nursing home in Chester owned by the largest care home operator in
England, the British United Provident Association (Bupa), were televised on the 19 June 2017.
In response to what may be considered incontrovertible evidence of abuse presented during the
programme, Bupa issued a statement saying:
We are absolutely committed to providing all our residents with high quality care in a safe and
supportive home […] a dedicated improvement team is working with the home […] and have made a
number of improvements.
Whilst I listened to this, with the phrase “is this deja vue”in my mind (again), I dug out the
response from the Four Seasons Group issued in 2016 in response to allegations of abuse of an
elderly man Drumragh care home in Omagh, which read:
We have in place rigorous policies, processes and procedures across all our homes to support good
care, but we are a people business and ultimately we are dependent on individual members of the
front-line staff in our homes.
Received 25 June 2017
Revised 1 October 2017
23 October 2017
14 November 2017
Accepted 22 November 2017
Steve Moore is an Independent
Researcher and a Consultant
based in Dudley, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JAP-06-2017-0026 VOL. 20 NO. 1 2018, pp. 33-46, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 33
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