News

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable comments on 'unfair' care home evictions

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1176514/Care-home-scandal-elderly-residents-evicted/amp

Care Campaign For The Vulnerable receives calls every week from families reporting 'unfair' evictions in care homes. Families come to us for support when raising care concerns and tell us soon after, receive a shock 28 day notice for a loved one to quit. In many meetings that are had we see a majority of care providers work very hard to address problems/issues and the resident's care needs are always the priority and sadly, notice to quit is sometimes in the best interest of that resident.

Worryingly though, there is still a minority of providers who do not act in the best interest of their clients and a unfair eviction is served. CCFTV is raising awareness because NEVER should a vulnerable person be subjected to such immoral and malign behaviour by professionals entrusted with their care and much more has to be done to protect the vulnerable in care homes. Care Campaign For The Vulnerable would like to see a independant body investigate providers who claim they 'can not meet residents care needs' as a excuse to serve notice and therefore validate whether care needs can in fact be met or not.

Statement from Care Campaign For the Vulnerable Founder Jayne Connery

CCFTV was pleased to note this week that private housing tenants with private landlords would be better protected with impending legislation that would outlaw short term evictions. Concerns raised by such tenants over living standards or quality of accommodation can no longer result in a notice for the tenant to leave. CCFTV is calling for exactly the same protections for care home residents. Currently a complaint about care or accommodation can produce a 30 day eviction notice from a care provider, who rather than making an effort to address a legitimate shortcoming, simply finds it easier to insist on the removal of a resident. Many of these elderly people are self funding and effectively have in part, a rental agreement with the care provider to live at the care home. Yet, no legal protections exist for them when a thirty day notice is issued at a time in life when they are at their most vulnerable and frail.

The frequency of such malign and morally bankrupt behaviour by some care providers is escalating. Every single week I receive a complaint from a very agitated and anxious family telling me this is the course of action taken against their loved one living in a care home. On many occasions the resident concerned doesn’t have capacity and so the initial complaint raised with the care provider was by an advocate or family member. The response to issue a thirty day notice to leave then impacts on a confused and vulnerable resident who simply is not considered.

Whilst I accept the vast majority of providers act responsibly, there are it seems still too many who use eviction notices (or the threat of issue) as a tool to suppress complaints or address raised concerns.

I am therefore calling for the same legal parity for care home residents. Equality with other tenants and receiving the same rights and privileges under law that are now being afforded to private housing tenants. Anything less smacks of ageism and a complete lack of regard for the welfare of older vulnerable people.