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Published: Monday, 14 August 2017 07:36

Written by News Editor

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A “culture of apathy” in care homes means residents are not treated as individuals, the watchdog Healthwatch has concluded. The BDA has called on ministers, health commissioners and care home owners to act on its conclusions, which show that elderly residents do not always have access to basic care, including with their oral health.

The report says that even good homes are failing to get the basics right all the time, with patients ordered around to suit the needs of staff. Residents are humiliated by being dressed in other people’s clothes because staff do not sort the laundry, and have to put up with filthy homes with peeling wallpaper, rotting windows and dead plants, the report says.

The report also revealed widespread lack of access to GPs and dentists for care home residents. Only one of the facilities inspected had been able to secure regular visits from a dentist, and many others reported difficulty in persuading local GPs to attend. Care homes need look after all people’s needs, not just their need for care and support, the report concludes.

Healthwatch England says: “Our 2016 review of what people have told us about dental services found that access to dentists could be difficult for care home residents, and this finding has been reinforced by what we have seen in our visits.

Michael Cranfield, Chair of the BDA’s England Community Dental Services Committee said: “This report is a wake-up call for health ministers, commissioners and industry bosses. Dentistry is too often the missing piece in care homes, and no one seems to be taking any responsibility for it. We keep seeing vulnerable residents with dentures that have never been taken out, and managers who admit oral health is at the bottom of their to-do lists. This isn’t rocket science. Staff need training, and residents need access to regular check-ups.”

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