Dear Editor
Part two of the BBC programme Protecting our Parents, shown on 24 April, revealed the inadequacy of all-round care provision for the elderly.
All staff shown were indeed caring but handicapped by having to work within existing rules and funding constraints.
A disturbing feature was the ‘test’ by a psychologist to determine the patients’ capacity to make decisions (in other words removing decision-making from them) with questions such as: ‘what day is it?’; I would imagine most people after being in hospital for weeks would hesitate before answering. There were of course other similar questions, and on their answers a decision is made on the patients capacity of doing so, with all that it implies.
The ‘test’ came across as inadequate and faulty, needing radical appraisal.
The second part of of the programme reinforced the first – that provision of care in all forms, from rapidly building NHS Hospitals for the elderly run by fully qualified staff, that care at home visiting time should be greatly expanded – if necessary to 24 hour caring operated by fully qualified staff.
This can be at least a start in showing we do care about protecting our parents.
A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
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