Elderly & vulnerable people are treated like battery hens

Shichibukai

It's horrifying. Our supposedly "proud" welfare state neglects the most vulnerable and weak, to the point of malice. The NHS and care homes are some of the worst offenders. Some care homes are absolutely terrible, and leave residents to wallow in their own filth for hours upon hours. If they protest or their relatives make a complaint, they could face retribution. Often, the unruly elderly and disabled are sedated with lethal antipsychotics simply because they stand up for their rights, not because they have serious psychiatric problems. Many nurses, carers, and even doctors are imported from the third-world, know very little English and therefore give appropriately incompetent, third-world standards of care. Knowing one or two people working in said care homes, I've heard just how bad it can get, even in places judged "adequate" or "good". 100,000 vulnerable and elderly abused. That's just last year. How hard is it to simply meet the basic requirements of hygiene, nutrition, and care? It's not as if "care" homes are underfunded. They get fees of £500 a week (or something just as ridiculous) simply for a bed and often piss-poor "care".

Do-not-resuscitate orders are being forced upon the elderly without their knowledge. It amounts to a covert euthanasia programme. The system is callous and uncaring. It sickens me to the core. 

Those of you Brits who keep up with current events might remember the recent story of a place that was run like a torture facility. Just the tip of the iceberg I'm afraid.

IanExMachina

The care homes are basically contracted out to private companies.

If you cut the NHS budget you mean there is less money to spend so you'll go with the cheapest bidder and they cut corners.

The clear option is more NHS funding and better regulation on contracted employment in the care industry.

Regarding the DNR orders, the family has no legal force regarding DNR orders, if the patient is not mentally sound the decision lies with the doctors.

The problem is the communication between the hospital staff and patient's next of kin.

All in all it is terrible, but these articles are scaremongering a fair bit.

The best solution is funding the NHS so it either can contract out safely or be able to run it in house alongside stricter regulations of the care industry.

Further cuts to the NHS in the name of letting private companies take over will end in more of the same cost cutting.

Chagen

America can be worse, given how privitization has resulted in abondoning ethics in the name of the almighty dollar.

But most people I know think you shouldn't send your old relatives to nursing homes (never heard the term "care homes", must be a British thing) anyway.

InsanityAddict

Here in Holland we just euthanize them. Saves a lot of hassle.

Bee

-shudder-

The shit that goes on in Holland with euthanasia is just fucking terrifying, I'm sorry.

There was a time not too long ago when the elderly would usually live with their families, but with cost of living as high as it is relative to wages it's difficult enough to support kids even with both parents contributing.  With social security and Medicare being a damn joke, there's not a whole lot of options left.