The Commissioner has today responded to a news story from BBC Northern Ireland, which details how staffing pressures in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust mean that an 89-year-old woman is regularly being helped to bed in the early afternoon by carers, meaning she is often spending up to 19 hours in bed until carers return the following morning.
Read the Commissioners statement in full:
“No older person should find themselves effectively having to end their day in the middle of the afternoon because the care package they require cannot be fully delivered. The fact that this is the reality for this lady is deeply concerning and totally unacceptable.
“This case raises important questions about dignity, wellbeing and quality of life for older, vulnerable people relying on domiciliary care.
“I am increasingly concerned about domiciliary care provision in Northern Ireland and the impact this is having on older people and their families. Over recent months, we’ve seen a significant uplift in calls from people struggling to access the care that they need.
“We are hearing about delays in hospital discharge because care packages are not available, lengthy waits for support at home, difficulties accessing services in rural areas and situations where older people are receiving only part of the care they have been assessed as needing.
“This has a significant impact on families who describe the anxiety, exhaustion and distress of trying to fill gaps in care while having little certainty about when proper support will become available.
“I recognise the significant pressures facing health and social care services, including workforce shortages and increasing demand. However, older people should not bear the consequences of those pressures through care that falls short of meeting their assessed needs.
“These concerns are why I recently wrote to all Health and Social Care Trusts seeking detailed information on domiciliary care waiting lists, unmet need and workforce pressures.
“While individual staff and care providers are working extremely hard in very challenging circumstances, older people need more than apologies. They need action.
“This case highlights the growing challenges facing our health and social care system and should serve as a wake-up call. Government, the Department of Health and Health and Social Care Trusts must work urgently together to address workforce shortages, tackle unmet need and ensure older people can access the care and support they need to live safely, independently and with dignity in their own homes.”
Read the BBC Northern Ireland news article
