Judge attacks inhumane treatment

[JohnD]

"The Times focuses on a speech by the most senior family judge, president of the family division of the High Court Sir James Munby, in which he said the practice of separating elderly couples against their wishes when one or both of them move into a care home must stop, describing it as "simply inhumanity"."

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/stop-splitting-up-elderly-couples-kfl5ppxmz

The reports says he blames social workers, but I wonder if it is financial constraints imposed on public services that are at fault.

 

[blightymam]

Probably a bit of both?

I had a summer temping job in my student days working for social services. After 3 weeks of working in social services I was left with the impression that most social workers are simply the worst kind of people. Don't care, don't listen and full of self-importance.

 

[Judy in the sky]

All depends what sort of "care package" is needed to meet individual needs. Let's say there's an elderly couple in need of care services. The woman suffers from dementia, her husband doesn't , but is frail. The woman needs specialist care in a nursing home. Her husband could possibly only need carers calling at his house four times a day. What do you do? Stick them both in a nursing home, or separate them? Not everything is black and white and sadly there's no universal answer. In social care there are a multitude of differing care settings, ranging from a simple care package allowing someone to live in their own home, to a residential home, right through to specialised nursing homes. A couple are two individuals, both with differing care needs. To the media it might seem very unfair to split married couples up, but to social workers and healthcare professionals, they have to look at the best interests of each individual.

 

[^woody^]

I find it bizarre that it should take a senior judge to make such a comment, when in fact it is just plain common sense.

I've seen it several times in the past few years where a bureaucrat has made this type of decision, and you just want to find them and shake (or kick) some sense in to them.

 

[^woody^]

What do you do? Stick them both in a nursing home

It's not about putting then both in a ****ing nursing home, but of providing suitable care without separating the couple.

 

[Judy in the sky]

It's not about putting then both in a ****ing nursing home, but of providing suitable care without separating the couple.

Woody, with the greatest of respect, how do you find some middle solution, where none exists though? Many nursing homes will not accept someone who does not require nursing care. As I pointed out in my post there are many situations where an individual needs nursing care and their partner doesn't. Sorry Woody, but I deal with these sort of situations regularly, when I'm the discharge nurse for the week. Believe me, if I could find an answer to providing couples with a "one package fits all" care solution, I'd pack up nursing and start a company offering such a care package... It just doesn't exist.

 

[Ian H]

Peveral and Bupa could combine to provide something like that.

 

[Nige F]

You don't need a long memory to recall "Victorian Values" What could be more Victorian than segregated sexes, as in the workhouse, the asylum and the grammar school. Tories on track.

 

[Judy in the sky]

Peveral and Bupa could combine to provide something like that.

At what cost?

 

[Judy in the sky]

You don't need a long memory to recall "Victorian Values" What could be more Victorian than segregated sexes, as in the workhouse, the asylum and the grammar school. Tories on track.

Hmmm Am I to assume you're all for "mixed wards" too ?

 

[Nige F]

Mixed, no. Nightingale yes.