The draft report and recommendations from the Commission on Improving Dignity in Care was published last week. It outlines ten key recommendations for hospitals and care homes to help them tackle the underlying causes of undignified care.
The aim of the report is to examine how care for the elderly can be improved through increasing our understanding of how failures in older people’s care can occur and to act as “a call to arms to the whole health and social care system”.
The key recommendations include the notion that residents and relatives should have a direct say in the running of care homes, which can help carers better understand the needs and meet the best interests of their residents. The report states that it aims to stamp out the use of degrading language and calls for the CQC to develop a new rating system for care homes which will be recognisable to all sector professionals. It has also suggested the establishment of a Care Quality Forum which can be used to consider staffing and recruitment issues.
Other recommendations concentrate on the role of local authorities and also address the challenges faced in providing an increased amount of care for the rising number of dementia sufferers.
The full report is to be published in the summer following a consultation period. This is likely to be a hot topic of debate as the Government continues their review of the Dilnot Commission – the independent review into fairer care funding.
