Personal care within a residential home setting.

[ivy1972]

Are there any laws preventing Opposite sex carers providing Personal care within a residential care home setting?
I am horrified to discover that male carers within my Mothers care home have been providing personal & intimate care to my Mother (who has dementia).
She also would be horrified to realise that her dignity has been compromised in this way.
Can anyone direct me to any law around this matter? thankyou.

[bednobs]

of course not! Do you think that men in care homes go to care homes that are exclusively staffed by male nurses and carers?

[bednobs]

ps how has her dignity been compromised? Are you saying these carers are doing more to her than providing her with necessary care??

[BAKERS DOZEN]

When I was in Christies for my operation one of the best nurses on the ward was a male nurse. If you need care and there is someone able and qualified to give that care then their sex should not matter. There are male and female doctors and nurses and I'm sure your mum has been seen by both over her lifetime. Just be grateful that she is getting the care she requires.

[RATTER15]

Yes her basic human right of privacy and dignity has been abused!!

She has the right of choice and if she does not have mental capacity then her next of kin would have the right to make that choice for her.

However, if this was not stated or made clear on her admission she is possibly listed as "no preference".
Talk to the manager of the home and this should stop immediately, assuming you are next of kin.

[RATTER15]

Bakers Dozen, im sorry I disagree and so does the law!!



This lady has dementia, do you really expect her to just be grateful!!

That is a dreadful attitude!!

[ivy1972]

I have requested information on the Law around this issue - Not Spurious personal opinion nor anecdotes.

I would welcome any further info from those with knoweledge on the issue.

[RATTER15]

ivy1972, I am a Senior Carer in a Dementia unit.

I would be immediately sacked if I attempted to undertake personal care on a female that was listed as female carer only!

[ivy1972]

Thankyou RATTER15 - Your knowledge and good practice and response is encouraging.

[islasmum]

Whe my mother was in her nursing home she was very well looked after by both male and female nurses - mostly by female nurses for the more personal hygiene etc, but if it was a weekend and there were only a skeleton staff she was taken care of very well and very professionally by male staff. do you think that had the sexes been reversed, that you would object to a female member of staff looking after a male patient? I wouldn't.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Ratter - I just commented that the family should be grateful that she was being cared for - she will not know who is caring for her. My father-in-law is 93 and lives with us. He has dementia and is incontinent but from his point of view he does not care who feeds him, changes his bed, does his washing etc. He is happy in his own little world and I don't think I have a bad attitiude just a realistic one.

[dzug2]

<<if she does not have mental capacity then her next of kin would have the right to make that choice for her.>>

Not without power of attorney (H&W) they don't. They can make representations and the home must take them into account, but has the final say.

[Chaffinch]

Can I just point out that "Nurses" are medically quallified, "Carers" are not

[RATTER15]

Bakers Dozen "she will not know who is caring for her." this is exactly the attitude we in the care industry have been fighting against for many years, it is abuse!!! She is a human being with exactly the rights as you and I have.

"she will not know who is caring for her." So you have met this unfortunate lady and you know this is the case?

[ivy1972]

Thankyou dzug2 - that fits in with my research/findings.

Would further posters please refrain from detracting from the subject in question.

I have requested advice around a legal issue NOT personal opinion. thankyou.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Ratter - why is not knowing who is caring for you abusive? Don't undertsand.

[ivy1972]

RATTER15 - You are Quite right It is exactly this kind of attitide from "Bakers dozen" that demonstrates the need for the law to protect the vulnerable.

Am grateful for your participation - Keep up the good work.

[RATTER15]

Because although she may not be aware of who is looking after her does not take away her basic human rights of dignity and privacy.

[islasmum]

This link might have something useful
http://www.scie.org.u...ors/privacy/index.asp

[Chaffinch]

Ivy "protect the vulnerable" against what?

If your Mother is in a nursing home staffed by quallified nurses, then go to the RCN website, where you will find the "law" and all of the debates about male nurses and female patients. just type RCN into google

[NOX]

sorry to say I think Baker's Dozen's response is being taken out of context and that he/she is being unecesarily villified. I think the point they were trying to make is that care of anyone, able minded or those suffering from dementia ought not to hinge on what sex the carer is, they should be professionals who give care professionally, that's exactly the reason that there are male midwives now, we really should have come beyond all that by now, and I don't consider it abuse either if the person is being ' cared' for and not abused.