Complaining about care

This page covers:
• The importance of talking about concerns with care providers
• Examples of problems and how they were resolved

Most people we spoke to were pleased with the quality of care they were paying for, whether this was care at home, day centres or care homes. There could be teething problems when care was first arranged but these were often ironed out over time. However, sometimes people felt that the care they or their loved ones were getting could be improved. People told us about times when they had complained about care or perhaps just suggested to care providers some ways to improve the care they were giving.

Getting the best from care providers

People told us how much they rely on care providers to look after their loved ones and keep them safe and happy. Family and friends try to make sure people are getting the care they need by discussing this with their care providers.

Unfortunately, things did not always go smoothly. Some people said they worried for others who perhaps did not have anyone to look out for them.

Mr S and his wife, who was pregnant at the time, were approached about a birth cohort study. He had seen posters about the study before, but didn’t know too much about it.

Age at interview 35

Gender Male

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I was aware, you’d see leaflets, you’d see posters, you know, but I wasn’t aware, you know, too much about [it].

So basically, there was posters, fliers. You go to your surgery, you go to the maternity unit, there’d be staff members there. So, it’s just – I’d think what is this?’ The more it’s-, you also get leaflets through the post now as well. So people are getting educated on it, so that’s very important. I think if you, if they don’t get educated on what they’re actually doing then they’re not going to know about it, are they? So I think stuff that’s getting posted, fliers, leaflets, meeting people at like the maternity unit, the hospital, very important.

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Local councils and some charities can help find advocates. An advocate is a spokesperson who can help someone through the process of getting and receiving care, including making a complaint. Local Carers Centres might also be able to help. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) website explains how to make a complaint and the different steps to take.

Problems with care at home

People who were managing care at home said that the timing of visits was the most difficult thing to get right. A few people told us about more serious problems and how they resolved them by changing care agencies or care workers.

Lucy has been taking part in a study for 30 years. She hopes that it might spot any health problems that are occurring.

Age at interview 30

Gender Female

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I suppose I just assumed whatever information they were getting was helpful. And also in terms of my own personal benefit, I suppose I hoped that if they spotted something that didn’t look right, then they would tell me. And, you know, I’ve got no idea whether they actually would of or not, I assume that they would of, but it could have been written into the study that they wouldn’t kind of flag things. So, yeah, I suppose a sense of, I assume it’s useful for other people, the researchers and the aim of the project, but also helpful maybe for me as well, just getting a warning if there’s something dodgy looking.

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Problems in care homes

People told us the best way to find out about the quality of care in a care home is to visit. They said it is really helpful to be present sometimes when care is being provided, for example at mealtimes or when someone is being helped to get from one room to another. Some people said that considering how expensive care home fees are, they felt that the quality of the service provided was below what they expected.

Sarah’s parents usually had care in their own home but Sarah arranged for them to have a short stay in a care home when she went on holiday. The care home could not cope with their challenging behaviour. Sarah said she learnt from this experience that in the future she needs to look carefully at what type of care is available as her parents would need a care home that offered nursing and dementia care.

The health professionals Ian saw after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) were also running research.

Age at interview 54

Gender Male

Age at diagnosis 51

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I mean, when we went the first time, they didn’t actually say to us, We’ve got all these different research programmes going on. We’d like you to join the. They were very honest with us and said, Look, as time goes by, would you have any problem if we made contact with you about things that we do outside the clinic and it was done very well. And every time they asked a question, they always made it quite clear that if it was something I was uncomfortable with, if I said, N it was never going to be a problem. And likewise, if I went ahead with anything and I wanted to stop it, it would never be a problem. It would never do any harm to my situation, and they would fully understand.

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Sometimes, families were unhappy about their dealings with the management of the care home, even though the care itself was good.

Steve hopes that by participating in a birth cohort study, his experiences of a turbulent childhood can be used to improve the health and social care support systems for future generations.

Age at interview 64

Gender Male

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I mean I’m very happy to help people and especially because I was involved in children’s homes and foster homes, you know, I’ve probably got a good background from that element that might actually help people in the future, you know. So in terms of the system I went through as a child, I’m only too aware that I wish I’d had a bit more help when I was a child so if I can give any-, say anything that might help you and your team to improve or learn something then I’m up, I’m very much up for it, you know.

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