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Whistleblower tells Panorama of "mental torture" and "abuse" at elderly care
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A whistleblower has told Panorama: Please Look After Mum - 91Èȱ¬
One, Monday 12 February at 8.30pm - of the abuse that she witnessed at an elderly care home.
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This is the first time that an insider has spoken publicly about the nature of
abuse and neglect at the Laurel Bank care home in Halifax.
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And in an interview for the programme the Government's Care 91Èȱ¬ regulator for
elderly and frail care home residents (CSCI) also admits that residents were
left "at risk" at another sub-standard care home.
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The whistleblower, a former care worker, told Panorama about "abuse", name
calling and "mental torture".
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She also describes some of the humiliation that
one female resident suffered, saying: "Towels, flannels, you know, slapped on her bare arse. Water splattered in her
face like that and the tap like that and she's screaming to shut her up.
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"Not to
shut... the only way I can explain it is to give her something to scream about
really. You know when a child's been naughty, 'I'll give you something to cry
about or whatever', do you know what I mean?
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"That's the only way I can explain
it. And that's mental torture, that's abuse if you ask me. That is abuse."
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The former care worker also describes the name calling endured by some
residents which saw staff making derogatory remarks.
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Comments
she says such as: ". I bet your husband wouldn't shag you anymore, would he?"
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The whistleblower also tells Panorama that: "If they [residents] had knots in
their hair, if they were screaming and shouting - it was just a case of, 'shut
of your mouth, get it over and done with, get them out of here, they're doing
me head in', sort of thing."
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The former care worker also said that there was even a part of Laurel Bank, the "loopy lounge", which relatives normally were not shown.
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She says: "There were a few names
for it, the 'baby lounge', the 'loopy lounge' - because all the violent, noisy,
ones, you know, they weren't put in the conservatory or in the dining room
where the flowers were and things, it was a very dark dingy room that smelt
awful."
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Asked "would you call it the 'loopy lounge' in front of them?" the
whistleblower says: "I don't think it occurred not to."
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One former resident, Agnes, describes how she was slapped across the face: "They
were arguing... and I was trying I says to her 'Are you alright love? What's the
matter?' And she just... it wasn't a wallop, it was just a smack as she walked
away from me. Wasn't a very vicious wallop. It were just, I imagine she would
have been crying cos she was upset. And I never said anything to anybody."
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When asked by reporter Vivian White if she is saying she was slapped in the
nursing home, across the face, Agnes - who was 66 in 2004, when the incident
occurred - says "Yes".
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The abuse is said to have taken place between 2003 and 2004, at the Laurel Bank
Care 91Èȱ¬.
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The whistleblower left the job after reporting her concerns.
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And the
home is now said by the nursing homes regulator, then the NCSC, now CSCI
(Commission for Social Care Inspection), to be significantly improved.
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But the
regulator admits that they should have ensured that things improved more
quickly at the home.
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Mike Rourke, the Director of Inspection Regulation and Review, said: "I think
our view would be today that we would not have been so patient. I think we
would have required a much faster turnaround. We would have been less inclined
to allow the provider to be tawdry, frankly, in addressing the issues."
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The manager of the home, Linda Parker, a nurse, faces a hearing before the
Professional Conduct Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council later this
year.
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However, despite an investigation by the regulators, a period of
suspension of admissions to the home (by social services), and an internal
investigation, Panorama has learnt that the public were never warned that the
home was not safe.
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Jonathan Phillips, Calderdale Social Services, said: "I think that that is one
area, erm, which definitely room, er, for improvement and, and the council has
learned from that experience."
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Asked by reporter Vivian White - "Did, did you tell the relatives of other residents?"
Phillips responds: "I think in that case not all residents were aware."
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Although the Department of Health has issued guidance on the abuse of the
elderly - called No Secrets - the programme has also found that authorities
failed to tell relatives about concerns about abuse and neglect at The Haven,
in Brighouse, Halifax, for two years.
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The Haven is also in Calderdale which
reviewed its past practices in 2004 and declared that it "aspires to be the
safest place in the UK for older people in care homes".
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Arthur was placed in The Haven in 2005, because of his worsening dementia, and
his stepson John soon raised concerns about bruising on his stepfather's arm.
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However, John was completely unaware that inspectors were recently (September
2006) investigating allegations of physical abuse against a member of its staff - who had since been sacked.
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Reacting to news of the allegation of abuse John says he is: "Frightened.
Absolutely staggered. And again, you know, if I hadn't heard it from you where
would I have heard it from?"
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Speaking to the CSCI director, Vivian White says: "But there were two years in
The Haven in which you were telling them to do things and they weren't doing
them and during that time residents were at risk, weren't they?"
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Mike Rourke responds: "That's absolutely right. It would be fair, though, to
point out that we were inspecting quite frequently, we were issuing notices,
and we were keeping a very close eye on the establishment, but your point is
well made and this home did not improve.
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"Elderly vulnerable people were left at
risk and that's why we've taken the decision to go to the Care Standards
Tribunal and seek to close the home."
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A company owned by the Malik family were told to close The Haven, although it
remains open subject to appeal.
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The Malik family declined to comment.
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Notes to Editors
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Any use of the above should be credited to Panorama: Please Look After Mum, 91Èȱ¬ One, Monday 12 February 2007, 8.30pm.
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