Good care guide & Healthwatch

The government has announced plans to “radically drive up” the standards of social care in England, in order to protect the elderly.

Their plans include the creation of a ‘good care guide’.

This good care guide could take the form of a TripAdvisor style website, with family members and care home residents able to rate and review their care providers.

It would also include the latest formal reviews from inspectors, so families could find all of the pertinent information about a care home or provider in a single location.

The proposals would also extend the scope of inspections, with Healthwatch scrutiny teams speaking to care home residents about their experiences in the home.

Healthwatch would have the legal powers to visit any home with at least one state-funded resident.

The government is also considering creating a law to allow them to visit those homes with private-only residents.

These proposals could make it much easier for people to make an informed decision about the care home or care provider they select in later life.

As things stand, this important decision is often made with insufficient information.

The availability of a good care guide website combined with more rigorous inspections is a positive step towards improving standards of care for the elderly.

Photo credit: Flickr/Harry Wood