Health Care: Old people suffering maltreatment

Elderly people living in residential homes are being strapped into their chairs, force-fed and roughly handled according to a survey published today.

The darker side of residential care is revealed in the survey by the Alzheimer's Disease Society which found one in ten carers said their relatives had been mistreated or neglected and more than half said they were not consulted about the use of drugs to control the old person's dementia. The report, based on almost 1,500 replies to a questionnaire, found most homes provided high-quality care which drew praise and gratitude from carers. But more than 150 examples of abusive treatment were described, most involving neglect or inappropriate treatment. Harry Cayton, chief executive of the society, said the cases of ill treatment were a matter of grave concern and called for tougher inspections and new guidance on the use of drugs in homes.