Investigation into home care of elderly people shows cases of “serious neglect”

Elderly people in England are sometimes left in bed for 17 hours between home visits with soiled clothing or bedding, an inquiry has found.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission says that the care of elderly people in their own homes is so poor that it breaches basic human rights.

The commission announced that it has unearthed worrying cases in its investigations into how well the home based care and support system in England is protecting the rights of people over 65.

In gathering the evidence for the inquiry the commission surveyed NHS local authorities, primary care trusts, and private sector providers of home care. Some 54% of local authorities completed the survey, along with 250 home care providers, and the commission received 503 written submissions of evidence from individuals, …