Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
81 yo Haringey woman's "inadequate care"
The number of older people needing care is expected to rise by 60% in the next two decades, but some have claimed the care system in the capital is already severely stretched.
Tags for Forum Posts: adult social care
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
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Yes Liz, I found it upsetting too. The question might be, "Did Claire Kober and Liz McShane find Barbara's toes, toenails and dementia as upsetting as we did?" Of course, like the private agency to which this form of older people's care is outsourced, Claire & Liz (not you!) will tell us that for "reasons of confidentiality we cannot discuss individual cases," and that, "you must not generalise - Haringey is not full of Barbaras." And you know what happened Gideon when he spoke out of turn. Let's all be a little more comradely.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I've now heard - from a reliable source - that Haringey Council had tried to block the BBC short film item from being shown.
I think we can all understand why there might be concern about disclosing the person's identity. Which is obviously why the BBC was careful not to show her face, nor give any information to identify her.
I'm told - also by reliable sources - that the friends approached the BBC after a considerable time trying and failing to get action through the "official" channels.
Again we seem to have Haringey attempting to gag people and prevent bad news coming out. Luckily for openness and democracy in this case, the BBC also have lawyers.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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You have watched the video, have you? Why do you think this topic is a good one to have another go at Alan? How about saving your hashtags and your cynicism for Twitter.
I'd like to know what your opinion is about what is happening to Barbara not what you think of another forum user.
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See my reply below to John. Broadly in agreement with your first comment. Should have left it at that.
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Why are you assuming that I have accepted this as "fact" - like any unnamed source I treat it with a measure of caution. You are free to treat it anyway you wish. I rarely take part in the more political discussions simply because I get the kind of accusation you've now so casually tossed out. I have absolutely no need to defend myself on the Internet to anyone.
However when I see something about which I can't stay silent, I will post it. The plight of this woman and others like her should make us all very angry indeed and it's only going to get worse as local government cuts hit.
Finally on your point about the motivation of sources, surely it is fair to say that not everyone from the council or in the Labour Party itself simply speaks out because they are disgruntled or a gossip, although of course in the first instance that tends to be how the language of the counter-attack goes in order to discredit the source. Have you ever tried to bring something that worries you out into the open at work? I have. Believe me, the first thing they do is attack your integrity and your motives rather than investigate the person who is senior to you. I don't blame anyone for wanting to avoid that. If I'd had a family when I did it, I might have considered it wasn't worth risking it.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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While I hold no brief for the Council, I find a quotation from " a reliable source " unconvincing. If Alan is confident that what the source says is true he should identify him. If he thinks that that would cost the source his job, he shouldn't repeat it.
Otherwise it's gossip and hearsay.
( his / him = her )
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I agree with you and so does Heather Brooke who wrote The Silent State(recommended read). Yet, we commonly see in print in quality as well as tabloid, the phrases "a source close to" or "a friend of" or even "sources reveal". It is the way that politicians and high profile people behave and we should distrust it.
However, there is also the possibility that people within the council are as horrified as we are by this and want us to know what's happening but fear for their livelihoods if they go public. As we know, the powers that be are not kind to whistleblowers. It is a little naive to suggest that speaking the truth will protect you. Not really borne out by experience. Losing your job is not even the half of it. Never being employed again is a very real possibility.
We also know from past experience that Haringey's default position when exposed by the media is to try and block and discredit. Not that they alone in this. I'm still reeling from reading about the appalling behaviour of the City Council in Flint, Michigan. Can't happen here? You sure about that?
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Permalink Reply by jp quethiock on
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I am a neighbour of Barbara. I knew her before she had dementia and I know her now. I also know the two extremely caring friends who have kept Barbara afloat these last few years since she became unable to care for herself. It was only the love of these friends and neighbours that has got Barbara the attention her needs merit and hopefully now a proper level of care and attention. And yes the Council did threaten legal action against the BBC which had nothing to do with protecting Barbara so much as the council itself. The BBC told her two friends this.
Put simply, Barbara came out of hospital there years ago and we the neighbours got Haringey to provide her with two care visits a day. She had no overall caseworker to watch her decline and indeed at some point they reduced her care to one brief visit a day. Only her neighbours saw her decline and tried to bring this to the attention of Haringey by talking to the carers employed by the private agency. Haringey only started to offer 4 carer visits a day after the London Ambulance Service and the GP raised the issue in the last two or three weeks. What the BBC film did not show was the faeces on the floor and the soiled clothing Barbara had been left in. Neighbours and not Haringey carers have supported Barbara by cleaning up faeces, giving her food and in short keeping her alive. People like Barbara cannot get out and find it hard to accept the ever changing face of newcomers. Had she had a proper level of care in the first place she might have accepted carers helping her to change out of soiled clothing or use incontinence pads. Instead all this fell on neighbours . And if she had had a caseworker from Haringey Social Services who actually went and saw her occasionally someone might have noted her toe nails and got a chiropodist in. I feel offended by the comment why didn't neighbours clip her toe nails: our energy was put into meeting her basic needs and trying to get professionals to give services that she has a right to. Like most old people instead she would have had her care farmed out to an agency and a social worker would have done a paper review of her care once a year and put the file away. Barbara has no family to advocate for her so thank God for the BBC and for friends desperately pushed into having to publicise her case. Our neighbourhood is an example of a resilient community in helping vulnerable neighbours. However, this can not be grounds for the Council to relinquish its responsibilities to the vulnerable in Haringey.
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May I sincerely apologise if I caused any offence with my comment. As I've already said this is something I do for my own mother because her arthritis makes it impossible for her to do it herself, so perhaps it pulled at my heart strings personally. This is as much a basic need as food and clean clothes.
I think the care and support you and friends have shown Barbara in her time of need restores my faith in humanity. Barbara is entitled to regular reviews and a proper standard of care and the fact that Haringey sought to block this piece frankly adds insult to injury. I'm not sure what I can do about that but I can do something about her poor feet. I looked online earlier and there are reasonably local mobile chiropodists who could call round. I suspect one of her friends would need to be there as it might be a bit uncomfortable and distressing. Please send me a friend request so that I can make the arrangements.
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Thanks for your kind of offer we will ensure the medical professionals now looking after her know of Barbara's chiropody needs.
The question that comes to my mind is how many other elderly people in our Borough live as Barbara- given the uncaring and woefully limited quality of care she received from Haringey Council?
How many of our elderly citizens are there living supposedly independently but do not have mental capacity, or are too frail or too bewildered to ask for the help they need?
How many elderly citizens are there who do not have family or friends to help?
How many elderly citizens might there be in our Borough, receiving so called care from our Council and yet, tonight, sitting in their own faeces and urine.
How many of our vulnerable elderly citizens are hungry because no one has suggested they eat?
Our vulnerable elderly citizens must surely have a right to compassionate, appropriate and dignified care given to them by Haringey Council.
Would it not, for once, be marvellous to hear, Haringey Council was putting its energies into providing the services needed instead of diverting its energy into trying to silence people or punishing Councillors who dare to speak-like Councillor Bull?
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