"I appreciate that many elderly people in care homes suffer with Alzheimer’s or dementia and may refuse veg. But it should be put on their plate anyway."
I see your point, however it can be counterproductive with some, they are overfaced by too much, or food they don't like and then refuse anything at all, I've looked after people that we've literally given two bites of everything to on a small plate, and then added to it as they eat a little at a time.
As far as I was concerned, if someone wanted a plate of biscuits for their tea, they got it, as long as they ate something. And let's not forget that the residents in care homes have lived lives, many cared for families, grandchildren, cooked, worked etc - they have the right to decide what they want on their plate, if it doesn't fall in line with what someone else wants then tough I'm afraid. They're the important ones in all this.
But as I've already said nothing will change until society wakes up to the fact that care is a business and is run as such, and demands a change. But the majority of people don't think about stuff like this (unless personally involved) until something like this hits the headlines, they express their disgust, and then go back to their lives. Care needs to be non profit, so that fees go towards what they should - the people in their care. I wish I knew how to change this, but I don't, I've come out of care because I don't want to be a party to lining someone's pockets on the suffering of others.
And the CQC, imo, are useless. As long as the paperwork is in order then they trot off again, there's no in depth investigation into anything. They need to send undercover carers in as a matter of course - I guarantee that there would be a massive uproar when it was discovered what truly goes on. The problem is there's little in the way of come back on the actual owners at all, floor staff and management take the blame every time.