Response to media coverage of home care services

FOLLOWING alarming media reports of poor quality home care this week, Right at Home would like to assure readers that the problems highlighted are negated the moment a Right at Home care contract is signed.

Providers who deliver care on behalf of local authorities are currently facing horrendous budget cuts. This results in fewer carers, who have to visit more service users than their schedule allows for – meaning visits are often cut short, sometimes to less than 15 minutes, and quality care is all but impossible to deliver.

This is not the way we work. We do not have or seek block contracts from local authorities; our clients who qualify for Social Services support claim it through direct payment or respite voucher schemes.

Our visits are for 60 minutes or more, as frequently as is required. We travel in our own time, not our clients’. Carers are carefully matched to clients and have consistent schedules, allowing them to build friendships, and the individual needs of the client are met on each and every visit.

A vigorous response to the media reporting of The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report “Close to home: older people and human rights in home care” has been issued by the UK Home Care Association (UKHCA), including 20 action points carers must follow to ensure service users’ human rights are met at all times.

Many simply do not apply to Right at Home carers, due to the difference in working environment as described above.

Those that do, such as recognising the client as an individual, ensuring dignity and respect is maintained throughout personal care and being flexible to their needs, form the core foundation of our approach to home care. We provide this and much more.

Please feel free to contact Right at Home to discuss any concerns you may have regarding the findings of the report. You will find testimonials from our clients and carers on our website: www.rightathomeUK.com