CCTV should be compulsory in all care homes. My mothers care home had a meeting last week where family members are invited to here about how the care home is run and you can voice your own concerns. The manager raised the subject of CCTV in the home and said she thought it was a good idea and would welcome it but they have no plans to install it. I suspect this is due to the cost but I am sure the care staff would object to being watched, so really it was just more hot air.
And where would the cameras be installed, communal areas should be OK, but what about bedrooms where privacy and dignity would no longer exist. But that could be a price worth paying if it raised the standard of care and exposed doggy staff. And who would be allowed to see the video, just the manager, relatives or anyone in the video or even the local pervs. It would be a great tool to identify areas that need improving and staff that need training or sacking. It would only work if the manager takes action and lets face it, what care home is going to admit its staff are crap. My guess is it will be business as usual and any doggy footage will be erased in case it ends up on the BBC News or YouTube .
My mother used to have carers visit her daily before she went into a home and I have lots of 'hidden' HD video that shows the difference in the standard of care. Unfortunately only two out of the five regular carers actually did care and do the job they were supposed to, which was to give my mother her pills and try to get her to wash, all very simple and basic. Two of them used to regularly turn up late or finish early and then falsify the report sheet with the correct times. On other occasions one of the carers said my mother refused to wash when they had not even asked her, this happened a few times and on one occasion the carer had a phone conversation with the care company manager accusing my mother of refusing to wash and calling her a dirty old bag and then laughing. On other occasions they would just sit the whole half hour totally ignoring my mother and playing with their phone. I formally complained but in the end decided to not use the video I just told them I did not want those carers to come again.
So it seems the only time you here about bad carers is from relatives and only then when the relative has video proof.
