Dementia Support Line
The Care Quality Commission is calling for people to speak up about their experiences of care – Alzheimer’s Society comment
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is calling for people to speak up about their experiences of care, as new research shows that almost 7 million people in England who accessed health or social care services in the last five years have had concerns about their care, but never raised them.
The most common reasons for not raising a concern were not knowing how or who to raise it with, not wanting to be seen as a ‘troublemaker’ and worries about not being taken seriously. Over a third of people (37%) felt that nothing would change as a result.
However, when people did raise a concern or complaint, the majority (66%) found their issue was resolved quickly, it helped the service to improve and they were happy with the outcome.
Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive Jeremy Hughes said:
'People have the right to good quality dementia care, and the right to complain if it’s not up to scratch. But a vulnerable person with dementia might well feel afraid to complain about those who provide their care. This is reassuring evidence that, when people do speak out, change happens.
'We urge everyone who’s experienced bad care to raise their concerns, and come to our National Dementia Helpline for support on how to make a complaint. Care home providers are in a powerful position.
'Residents and home care users need to be supported and protected when complaining when care falls below an acceptable standard. At the same time, better funding must be provided so there are enough staff who are well trained to deliver good care.'
