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“Safe and dignified care is not an optional extra” as Hourglass demands stronger safeguards following This Morning appearance.
Hourglass has called for stronger safeguarding, training and accountability across social care after its Chief Executive, Richard Robinson, appeared on ITV’s This Morning alongside the daughter of an older woman subjected to multiple serious care failures.
Safeguarding is intended to provide an independent check when concerns are raised. Local authorities should gather evidence, speak to the older person wherever possible, hear from relatives and professionals, test the provider’s account and decide what action is needed to reduce risk. It is designed to ensure concerns are examined objectively rather than accepted at face value.
Joyce received care in her Portsmouth home after a fall reduced her mobility. An investigation identified missed or falsely recorded visits, inappropriate food, failures to follow her care plan, unsafe medication arrangements and prolonged periods when she was left unattended.
In one incident, a care worker microwaved dog food, recorded it as a “lamb dinner” and fed three mouthfuls to Joyce, despite her agreed soft-food plan following a mini-stroke. Joyce died weeks later. Her death was recorded as frailty from old age.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found “abysmal failures” in Joyce’s care and criticised Portsmouth City Council’s oversight. A statutory safeguarding enquiry remained unresolved for six months, against a local target of 28 days.
Joyce’s experience however is not isolated. Recent cases include the physical and psychological abuse of an 81-year-old woman in Wales; the sexual abuse of older women with dementia in Kent; the sharing of degrading images of dementia patients in Northern Ireland; and an NHS worker in Scotland stealing more than £62,000 from an 84-year-old patient.
Speaking following his appearance on ITV’s This Morning, Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Hourglass, said:
“What happened to Joyce was not simply poor care. It was abuse and neglect and it went far beyond one appalling incident. The failures described in this case raise fundamental questions about recruitment, training, supervision, record-keeping, escalation and the oversight of commissioned care.
“The most disturbing truth is that abuse like this is likely happening somewhere in the UK right now. An older person may be being harmed by the very person they depend on, with no camera, no witness and no straightforward way to tell anyone. That’s why robust safeguarding is so important.
“Most care workers provide compassionate support in extremely difficult circumstances. They deserve proper investment, training and recognition. But pressure on the care system cannot excuse abuse or weak safeguarding.
“This case exposes the safeguarding vulnerabilities faced by older people who depend on care, and the systemic failures that can allow abuse and neglect to go undetected. We need effective supervision, professional accountability and commissioners who actively scrutinise the services they fund. If we value older people, safe and dignified care cannot be treated as an optional extra.”
Hourglass is calling for:
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Nationally consistent safeguarding training focussed on the needs and experiences of older people.
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A comprehensive professional register for England’s social care workforce to ensure proper regulation and accountability.
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Continuing supervision and professional accountability across social care.
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Stronger scrutiny of care providers by councils and other commissioners.
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Safe reporting routes and specialist support for older victim-survivors.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Hourglass is the only UK-wide charity focused solely on ending the abuse and neglect of older people.
Every year, one in six people aged 60 and over experience abuse - equivalent to almost 2.7 million older people across the UK.
The charity provides a free 24/7 helpline (0808 808 8141), community-based support and policy advocacy focused on creating a safer ageing society.
About Hourglass
Hourglass is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect of older people. The charity works to raise awareness, influence public policy and provide support to older victim-survivors and those concerned about them.
Hourglass operates the only UK-wide 24/7 helpline dedicated to the abuse of older people, providing confidential information and support every day of the year on 0808 808 8141.
www.wearehourglass.org.uk
