My father died in a care home and all I got was denials and excuses
The situation at The Firs care home in Nottinghamshire, which was shut down in April, is dreadful for patients, families and staff ('How did it get to this?' What happens when care in a residential home breaks down, 7 June). But the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not the only body to blame for failings like this.
It can't investigate individual complaints – this is mostly down to the local government and social care ombudsman (LGSCO), but also the parliamentary and health service ombudsman (PHSO). It depends on who funds the care; in theory the same care home could be dealing with two ombudsman staff unaware of each other. Both are equally damned on Trustpilot with overwhelmingly negative reviews.
My dad died two days after he had been moved to a home for palliative care. So much went wrong on that awful day, with staff who didn't care and with no involvement with any senior staff. I complained to the manager and then the company headquarters. I received many denials and excuses, one of which was so clearly untrue that I thought I'd caught them out.
I told the PHSO everything. I waited for eight months, only to have every ridiculous excuse parroted back to me as a reason for not investigating. I don't believe the LGSCO would have been any better.
The care home company knew I had complained and had time to prepare for an investigation, which never came. All I did by complaining was show what it could get away with. Other homes in the same organisation have been graded as inadequate or requiring improvement, with poor staffing levels and attitudes to patients especially marked. So criticise the CQC, but don't spare either ombudsman.Name and address supplied
Your article made me cry. My parents (90 and 92) have, since February, suffered deterioration in their health such that both now need full-time care. Three of the four local-authority-provided 'rehab' places have so far been utterly woeful.
The home that my father is currently living in is disastrous for a person in his position. My sister and I are desperately trying to sort an alternative for him, but it takes time and every day he is there is a day too long. And as for whistleblowing, we tried that when a carer was verbally abusive to my mother. The difficulties we are having moving her because of her record of 'very difficult behaviour' are not unconnected.Name and address supplied
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