22/06/2015
One of UK’s largest trade union is asking for immediate help from the government, claiming that the home care system is in danger of collapsing.
UNISON, the second of UK’s biggest unions, said that many elderly as well as disabled people are in danger of being denied dignity because their carers do not have proper training.
The union based its statements on its report “15 Minutes Of Shame,” which it discussed extensively during its annual conference last June 16 that was held in Glasgow.
UNISON’s report surveyed more than a thousand home care employees and found that six out of every 10 care staff lack training to change catheters of male patients with incontinence. 50 per cent of care staff, on the other hand, do not know how to care for stoma and one out of four has no knowledge of dementia care.
Limited time for care, below minimum wage rates and zero-hours contracts are also contributing to the deplorable quality of care being dispensed by most care staff.
David Kippest, a retired UNISON member, told the audience during the union’s annual conference: “It is impossible for people to live the sort of life we want them to live with just 15 minutes of care.”
UNISON’s general secretary, Dave Prentis, said that the problem is a “national shame.”
Prentis added: "The new Government must listen to the voices of the people at the heart of this crisis. We are urging the new minister to work with us as we continue our vital campaign to save our care system."
