Night staff at care home

[LaBelleSauvage123]

I've just read the horrendous report into abuse of an elderly woman with dementia at a care home (I haven't linked to it here as it makes very distressing reading, but anyone who wants to can google it in The Guardian). My father with dementia has commented cryptically a couple of times about the attitude of night staff and being roughly handled when being changed, but up to now we've dismissed it as part of his dementia ( he also tells us that the home has been taken over by the Mafia, there is a snake on the loose which has bitten staff etc). This article has really made me think though. How are night staff monitored? In the section of the home that my dad is in, there are two night staff and one nurse on duty, who are very often agency workers. The regular day staff and management all leave in the evening. So who would know if there was abuse going on?

I really understand your concern. My dad was in a care home with dementia, and I just kept asking him how he was treated. I think the only other option is to hide a little camera, but I was more or less happy taking his word for it.

I was shocked to see that the CQC website has a section advising people about the use of hidden cameras!

I work nights in a dementia unit, I've had a look at the article. It is so shocking that they treated the resident that way.

As a nurse, honestly I would believe it. I’ve heard lots of reports and have seen awful staff. Hide a camera, I woukd

I've worked as a care assistant at night, some of the other carers were quite shocking tbh, I complained about a few of them but it's so hard to replace them nothing happened. At one place it got shut down after residents were locked in their rooms at night by carers

I work in a care home at night and have for 12 years. There is usually a couple of staff working in the night. I must of worked with hundreds of care staff over the years.
All the staff I ever worked with were kind, careing and did the job to the best of there ability.
All staff that work in care homes have upto date DBS checks.
The problem when something like this is reported in the paper or in the news is that everyone in the care sector is tarred with the same brush.

I agree, they only report the worst homes.

Honestly? I think I’d hide a camera. I’ve reported night staff when I was a student nurse on placement. Some of the night staff are lazy and harsh I have found. Unnecessarily loud and rough overnight, or just neglectful.

Ex medic here. I remember back to my training. I would definitely be hiding a camera if my loved one was in a care home.

I think that care homes are very different and some have excellent staff, day and night. My mum used to stay up late while in her own house so when she first went into a care home, she refused to go to bed early. The night staff awere happy for her to sit in the lounge near their work station to watch tv and they would make her cups of tea and toast. She went to bed when she was ready - she did not need personal care at this stage so they only had to check up on her to make sure she was settled.

Later as her dementia progressed, she needed more help with getting ready for bed but was happy to go earlier. She needed turning in the night due to bed sores which she acquired during a horrendous hospital stay so a carer went in every two hours to turn her and monitor her, as the home had movement cameras installed in the bedrooms, each visit was logged and recorded.

I know we were lucky in finding the home, it was a not for profit organisation who paid the living wage not minimum wage and had higher staffing level and a low turn around of carers. If I’d had any doubts about mums care I certainly would have put cameras in or moved her to a better home.

Wow never knew this was a thing. Surprised that is legal tbh. And I don’t say that from a care worker perspective as they are at work and lots of homes have cameras in communal areas anyway.

But more from a privacy for residents point of view. Some families are abusive and controlling too. There’s so many awful people out there. Have never witnessed it or even heard of it second hand about staff in the homes I have worked at but you only have to look at the news to see what ‘potentially’ awful people exist.

I work in aged care, and I'm sorry to say, it happens. And yeah your thoughts are right- they're not really able to be monitored, as there's so few people around at night. I have no idea the legalities of cameras, but you should keep an eye out for bruises, particularly on the upper arms and wrists (grab marks from rough handling).

Thank you all. The regular day staff at the home are lovely and caring towards my dad. It’s just the night we are concerned about. I’m going in this morning to speak to the manager and I’ll ask my dad casually how his nights have been too.

Best way is to talk to the manager of the home.

Can I ask what concerns do have, about the night shift?

He’s spoken in the past about rough handling and an disrespectful attitude when he needs changing in the night. He’s very aware that changing pads etc is ‘a horrible job’ and the pay is really low - but has said they make him feel like a nuisance.

Some day staff are neglectful and rough too. IME staff are not monitored whatever shift they work. The only people who know what happens in the residents bedroom are the resident and the staff in there at the time. What can a manager do except suggest cameras, speak to the staff who would deny abuse or work nights themselves which is very unlikely.

He shouldn't be made to feel that way.