‘Old-age is not an illness and does not require hospital treatment’

• ANYONE with relatives in a care home reading the article on care for the elderly (End the scandal: nationalise care homes, July 16) will be horrified and dismayed by his claim that the homes, at best, may have one person classed as a nurse but all the other care assistants are usually untrained and unqualified; because they will know that what Mr Gulliver has written is utter rubbish.

I arrange the care of my 98-year-old aunt, an Alzheimer’s sufferer and resident in Wellesley Road Care Home for a year.

There is a nursing section, set up rather like a hospital ward, where the staff have medical qualifications, but my aunt – in one of the residential sections – has her own room with ensuite facilities.

The member of staff in this section who dispenses medicines to the residents is medically qualified, and the care workers are also all qualified.

All staff are inducted via the Care Certificate framework, and are supported to complete vocational qualifications appropriate to their work. As Wellesley Road caters for dementia sufferers, all care workers have recognised dementia qualifications.

Gulliver says that the elderly in care homes are “warehoused”. He has obviously never visited any Camden homes. If he did he would find that they really are the homes of the residents, and not warehouses.

Wellesley Road is modern and spotlessly clean, with regular activities for the residents. I have joined in the sing-songs myself and found them to be great fun, as did the residents.

Many residents have conditions, and medications are dispensed with the same care as in hospitals. GPs visit every week, and staff ensure any residents that require attention are examined.

Gulliver envisages care homes as mini-hospitals. But old-age is not an illness and does not require hospital treatment.

Frail elderly people need looking after; social care is the technical term and that is what they get. They are looked after by fully-trained, qualified, caring staff.

Care homes are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and information about the training of staff can be found on its website.

Gulliver should forbear writing about care homes again until he has visited some of the homes in Camden, and seen what they are about.

ROBERT PELLEGRINETTI,
NW5