CARE home residents died ‘terrible deaths’ in the first wave of the pandemic, according to staff, when PPE was ‘non existent’ and medical advice was ‘contradictory’ or simply not available.
Frontline staff have shared harrowing accounts of working conditions for a major report that calls for systematic change within the sector and accuses the Scottish and UK governments of consistently “shifting the blame” for deaths onto care homes.
The report, by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) said the pandemic had only re-inforced long-standing problems within social care including working conditions for staff routinely dealing with death and complex, geriatric healthcare.
Council staff, care regulators and third sector groups were also consulted who accuse the Scottish Government of being reluctant to make changes because solutions are, “costly and complicated.”
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During the first wave of the pandemic in Scotland, 46% of those who died - a total of 4,482 people - were in care homes while at least 14 workers succumbed to the virus.
One employee told of working with ‘no PPE’ at all’ and little medical guidance, saying: “The GP advised staff, by telephone, that when they were caring for residents with Corona, often seriously ill and coughing heavily, that they should gurgle with saltwater.
“Within two weeks, many of our residents and the staff became ill and those who passed away died a terrible death.”
Another worker told of ambulance staff arriving in hazmat suits to take away the dead while staff wore bin-bags, while others said they was a feeling amongst staff that they were being blamed for deaths.
Researchers Dr Hartwig Pautz, Dr Stephen Gibb and Joan Riddell spent the summer interviewing care staff about working conditions, predominantly in the hardest hit areas of the central belt including Glasgow.
Dr Pautz said the interviews had offered a “raw and uncut view “ of the care sector, adding: “The issues identified in this report are not a product of the pandemic – they are long-standing and require a total cultural shift in order for them to be fully addressed.”
Care workers said the pandemic had reinforced “ageist” attitudes towards older people which had “translated directly into a lack of recognition for those who care for them” and told of the mental toll of caring for dying residents without the support of relatives.
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“Loads of people earning measly wages came into work every day with that fear, that pressure, and were traumatised by the scale of the deaths.”
Staff were critical that they had not received recognition payments from the Government, ‘just the annual pay rise’ and said they had felt as if their contribution had not been recognised in the same way as NHS workers.
The majority of workers said the pandemic had renewed a personal pride in their work.
The authors of the report - Decent Work in Scotland’s Care Homes - also spoke to ten interviewees from local government, regulators, trade unions, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and industry umbrella organisations.
Respondents accuse the Scottish Government of “struggling to understand social care” while others said they hopeful about the outcome of a major, ongoing review that is examining if a national care service should be introduced.
The report authors said much of the debate about care home deaths has been about “blame shifting”.
“While Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 6th of July 2020 comment that ‘too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures’ may be more memorable, the Scottish Minister for Health, already on 4th of June, stated that the Scottish Government had provided clear guidelines to care homes, implying that those care homes with many Covid-19 cases must have not followed them.”
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Karen Hedge, National Director of Scottish Care, said: “Many of the negative experiences of social care staff highlights systemic issues in the commissioning and procurement of services, and the general lack of respect experienced by those who work within social care is at complete contrast with the highly skilled and professional work that is carried out every day by this sector. "
Labour's Monica Lennon added: “The findings from this UWS report into the experience of care workers is deeply troubling.
"Their testimonies are powerful and they have been failed for far too long, with Covid-19 exposing and exacerbating this.
“Scottish Labour has consistently argued for a National Care Service that puts people before profit and ultimately improves pay and conditions for all social care staff.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The pandemic has highlighted issues of fairness in employment practice and opportunity for care workers which clearly need to be addressed.
“This is why the Fair Work in Social Care Group are urgently developing proposals to embed the fair work principles which will lead to better terms and conditions, as well as more rewarding roles, for the care workforce whose hard work and dedication we are immensely grateful for.
“It is also a key reason why we’ve established an independent review to consider the idea of a national care service chaired by Derek Feeley, former director general of Health and Social Care in the Scottish Government.”
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