To think care home bosses should take some responsibility for Covid infections in homes

[JustAsking1837]

This is just in response to criticism over Boris Johnson's comments. Sorry if this has already been done but I've not found any threads on this surprisingly. I am no fan of Boris or the Government but day in day out I have listened to the press savagely criticise the Government no matter what it does or doesn't do and is blamed for everything. However everyone is in uproar when Boris has suggested that many care homes may have not done everything they should have to prevent infections. I am not necessarily saying they are to blame, as I don't know, but think it should be fair game for discussion.

@snurfflepots well said

Also read today that if your work require you to be tested, the cost of the test will be treated as a benefit in kind and the workers will be taxed on every test taken. You couldn't make it up.

100% Governments fault for the 20000 care home deaths.

Why? they regulate the CH industry and they told CH 's that CV posed no risk to their clients or staff, advise still given in April!!!

They also put CH's under enormous pressure to take untested elderly patients from hospital, these patients should have been isolated either in hospital or the CH... which is what germany insisted on (due to lack of tests)
SAGE warned the govt on the risks too but they were ignored.

Johnson is just trying to deflect blame ahead of any enquiry (by a different Govt) he will never allow one.

Boris Johnson is I think a cunt

But to throw care homes under the bus is the most cuntish thing he’s done

I listened to the regular updates on R4 from an amazing care home provider, she was fucked. All she could do was try and help people to die better. If she doesn’t have PTSD then I’m the pope.

I also listened to the today programme with mark Adams who works for a charity and he summed it up. His rage was palpable. And I don’t fucking blame him

Boris Johnson is I think a cunt. But to throw care homes under the bus is the most cuntish thing he’s done

Totally agree.

Trying to blame Care Homes here is actually disgusting. Is there nothing this government won’t stoop to?

@Flyingagainstreason

Boris Johnson is I think a cunt

But to throw care homes under the bus is the most cuntish thing he’s done

I listened to the regular updates on R4 from an amazing care home provider, she was fucked. All she could do was try and help people to die better. If she doesn’t have PTSD then I’m the pope.

I also listened to the today programme with mark Adams who works for a charity and he summed it up. His rage was palpable. And I don’t fucking blame him

This. Along with the CEO of NHS England who doesn't escape criticism in this growing scandal.

Oh and even now, they have done nothing to support the the agency staff, who have to buy their own masks, don't get hand sanitizer.

NB my DD works for an agency, no sanitizer, one mask per shift (up to 8 hours)

Maybe a shite company but who regulates the industry????

The care homes should have had enough PPE for such an event. These are privately run businesses so why do they expect anyone to supply them with any equipment? Do they expect the government to supply cleaning materials, bedding? No. They have failed and won't admit it.

YABVVVU your comments have made me so angry. I work in the industry and we have followed to the letter the daily changing PPE guidance. I have begged companies to sell us PPE at over inflated prices. We have paid all our staff full pay for self isolation and those whose are furloughed to health issues. We locked down early, kept teams in one place and using no agency staff. We are a charity and we have worked fucking hard over the last few months. We have lost person to Covid and had no cross infection.
You do not understand the full picture and all the time you buy into this narrative and leave use having to justify our position, our services are crumbling through lack of funding and support. Everyone speaks about the crisis within the nhs but I doubt you have a clue about social care. Do you know what the saddest thing is about this situation, we have celebrated some of the awareness of the challenges we have been experiencing as we didn't think anyone knew we were there trying to do our best.

The govt may regulate the industry but surely the care home management are to blame if they are forcing agency staff to buy their own masks and sanitizer, or only provide one mask? If it's a shite company, it's a shite company and the shite company is to blame in this specific circumstance

@whoisyennefer it pisses me off to and many of my co workers, its like a kick in the teeth.

My relative worked in a negligent care home, privately run. Their boss banned them from using facemasks unless they were caring for a resident who was coughing! My relative developed covid symptoms and phoned in sick. They were told to come into work unless thay were too ill to do so (which they were, so stayed at home). They received a test after a few days and were awaiting the result. They were instructed by the care home management to return no later than day 7 of their illness. They were still very ill so couldn't return, so got a doctors sick note. A few days later their covid test came back positive. They were hounded to go back to work by the care home management team just about every day throughout their illness, despite being ill for about 4 weeks and always covered by a doctors note.

When they went back to work......nothing had changed. Still no masks, only the PPE they always had, which was very little. My relative is 19 years old and this is their first job in a care setting, with no previous training or experience. This was the leadership and guidance they received from their managers.

Some care homes will have gone above and beyond and I applaud them.

But some have been absolutely negligent and should be rightly blamed for their part in this awful and devastating loss of life. They put money and profit before life, with devastating consequences. They know who they are.

Trying to blame Care Homes here is actually disgusting. Is there nothing this government won’t stoop to?

No

Care homes are mainly providing a service for which government is responsible for providing. It’s just outsourced care.

Therefore they’re effectively an arm of the government, funded by government and individuals.

The government absolutely failed here. 100%.

They were forced to take NHS patients, they weren’t given enough PPE and central government did not issue proper guidance.

Why? Probably because central government has no fucking clue as to what it’s statutory responsibilities are.

This government is a disgusting shambles.

It should do the grown up thing and take fucking responsibility instead of shitting on those who have done their best

YABU OP.

But some have been absolutely negligent and should be rightly blamed for their part in this awful and devastating loss of life. They put money and profit before life, with devastating consequences. They know who they are

This set up was the fault of successive governments.

Government has been told time and time again to sort out the social care sector.

They haven’t. And they reap what they sow.

@vodkaredbullgirl Let's not worry, they can sort our their PIL's care when we all fuck off to better paid jobs

@whoisyennefer i know we doing a great job, to avoid getting covid in our care homes.

YABVVVU your comments have made me so angry

Of course you are angry because you work in the sector and so anything said against the sector is upsetting for you. If you read through the posts on here, you will see that some posters have written about cases where care staff have been forced to come into work when they've had symptoms, and other situations too where the care home owners are to blame. Am sure the care home you work at has been amazing in dealing with this as have most, but not all.

When Covid first blew up and I heard about nurses dying and leaving their kids I could easily have been tempted (was tempted) to leave my job in care. I didn't want to risk leaving my children (one only 2 years) without a mother.

Instead (because half our team were signed off) I worked far more hours than my usual contract - up to 9 night shifts in a row when I am usually only 3 nights a week.

My colleagues (that weren't signed off) did the same pulling together to keep things going, including colleagues nearing retirement that could quite easily have done without it and were worried they might not live to see retirement or that they would take the virus to health compromised family or elderly relatives they care for.

We did (and continue to do) our best with infection control for our residents and staff. At least in part, I admit, because we are quite keen to not die.

My cousin works in a very busy hospital. Just before lockdown, the whole ward was turfed out,many, many back into care homes . Staff knew that covid had arrived in the hosoital but were told they had to make wards clear for covid patients. That is absolutely disgusting.

The govt may regulate the industry but surely the care home management are to blame if they are forcing agency staff to buy their own masks and sanitizer, or only provide one mask? If it's a shite company, it's a shite company and the shite company is to blame in this specific circumstance

Its an agency, operating the community.

No, its down to effective regulation, poor regulation allows poor practice and abuse, according to my DD, they have been told the masks and sanitizer issues are all within guidelines for agency workers (note not laws!!! WHY?)

Why do you think we have laws in regard to product safety from toys to paint to vehicles/planes, usually rigorously enforced....why should the Govt escape balme with CH's? .

I think you’re being very unreasonable. Care homes were put under huge pressure to accept untested patients discharged from hospital, unable to access enough ppe and considered low risk by the government in the early stages.

The biggest thing the government wanted to avoid was the perception that the nhs was overrun. Care homes were callously sacrificed to this end.

@JustAsking1837 I am not angry at the criticism of social care or elements of social care, I would suggest as an industry we are fairly self critical and used to evaluating our own provision within the guidelines set by CQC. I am angry that this has become a discussion about 'bad' care homes, when the wealth of information and evidence out there suggests a long standing and critical issue with social care. It's the wrong discussion to have.

@JustAsking1837 For a bit of context, my mum was a Sister in various care homes for about 30 years.

During that time she was scrupulous with her and her staffs personal hygiene, be it stomach upsets or colds etc, no one was allowed to work if they were sick.

She always had the full support of the owners, dead patients don't pay fees.