6 July 2012

15 minutes of care

Councils in England now expect carers to spend just 30 minutes in the home of someone in need of care.
According to the UK Homecare Association, 75% of carers are expected to spend just half an hour with patients, while 10% of councils advised them to wrap up the visit in a shocking 15 minutes.
There are currently around 640,000 carers visiting the elderly community, and in this 15 minute window these dedicated people need to help their patients with tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing and dressing.

Many patients have complained about this issue, with a third submitting serious complaints to the councils. Staff have also commented that the little amount of time they get to
spend with their patients means there is little room to protect people’s dignity. This is clearly not an acceptable practice, and councils need to deal with this issue to allow carers to carry out their jobs in a professional manner, to help the people who most need their care and attention.