Partner Article

What price Healthcare

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I asked a psychologist in conversation the other day what was wrong with me, she replied, frustration! I was not surprised as I struggle with the way generally we as a society handle healthcare and more interestingly how society considers the more senior of us as a burden and what should be done with us as we get older. Family responsibilities are becoming less important as many older people find themselves isolated and given a visit by a relative now and then and by neighbours once in a blue moon. Not all elderly are that isolated, some have caring families and friends. The Government suggest volunteers’ in the future will replace families and friends and adopt a granny or granddad will be next on the list I am sure.

Nursing and residential homes up and down this country will tell of individual residents that have no family visits for years. Yet when that frail body gives up its soul, the relatives appear as if by magic to claim what is theirs. Some parents in their sixties are now faced with the issue of their disabled daughter or son who is fast reaching forty or fifty and what will happen to them when the parents die.

Andrew Dilnot, Cavendish and Francis reports and others do their best, suggest solutions and no one implements the changes recommended. The NHS takes more and more money for mediocre performance and sadly in too many cases a lack of care. What the term professional means now is yet another question and one that must be for another time, I do wish that people who use it think long and hard about what it really means.

Individual stories abound, the papers are full of them, neglect, poor care delivery, lack of dignity and the list goes on. These are the stories that are reported, BBC Radio 4 continues to remind us almost daily about the healthcare industry and its failings, unfortunately, I too hear of poor performance, a lack of compassion and sheer stupidity by carers or nurses. Nursing homes cannot be the answer and as the government drives prices down and expect quality to rise, they like everyone else are living in a land of make believe. Widgets in a factory are great, savings in quantity, production runs, raw material purchases are to be expected. But that model cannot be adopted in caring for the elderly, infirm or young disabled. What can we do to address the balance? Care for people at home, ensure the carers are provided with adequate training. Supervise the carer’s hands on care. Yes all commendable, but ( and there is always a but) where are the people to take these jobs, what value do we as a society place of their skill set, is it a job we could all do and would we do it for £6.50p per hour. I have delivered care for 31 years and often as I wiped the excrement from sheets and bottoms sometimes retching with the smell, I wondered why do it, who cares, then as the body gave up its soul and I comfort the family I know my efforts were reward itself, of course I need the wages to survive.

Recently, I wrote to the CQC (Care Quality Commission) to complain about the CQC sadly my complaints were upheld, a terrible indictment on the quality of our inspectors, who is checking on the inspectors and why should we have too.

Paper is everywhere, questions about this, that, opinions about whatever. Quality measurement, strategy for care delivery, again the list is not endless, almost daily the demands for more information are requested. Unannounced inspections I welcome, embrace and we need more, why - to ensure the job is getting done correctly and to make the client feel more secure in the knowledge that someone cares, has their back and will correct shortcomings in care delivery quickly and positively. Qualified people on the ground willing to do the job to a very high standard, paid by results, salaries reflecting their skills and more importantly commitment. Who is going to pay? Us of course, but how? I suggest that one penny in the pound tax is levied on all of us for our old age care triggering at sixty years of age and ring fenced by the government and shown it is ring fenced on our payslips, separate from the NI payments but part of the bigger picture. Great news if we don’t need it until we are eighty or ninety, it is unlikely we will ever use all the money we paid in, so what, as the years go by, and we become stronger financially the benefits will outweigh the payments. Care for twenty four hours a day seven days a week NOW is £2,500 at home, in a nursing or residential home 500-1500 per week the more you pay the more you get. Management of the money has to be personal, but sensible, it’s not for new cars, it’s not for luxury holidays it is for care. Like all suggestions it will have its strengths, its weakness but like all suggestions it is a start, a beginning to address the inevitable issue of getting older by the minute. I for one want a dignified death if I can plan it, I want to say goodbye to my family from my bed at home, I don’t want to be in a hospice, nursing home or the like. Guarantee’s about that are impossible as no one knows their time, but nevertheless, planning for your burial is the norm, why not plan now for your old age care.

Political fear will prevent it from getting off the ground because tax is never welcome and no one will have the strength to put it forward (UKIP might) and I am not naïve to think everyone will want to pay. I am sixty five now and have made plans to be insured and hopefully my family will rally when needed, but just in case they are not around or are ill themselves I think I will have sufficient funds to achieve my goal of a dignified death and not rely on the state to provide the answer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Philip Parkinson .