Older people may face discrimination

The Select Committee on Human Rights highlighted the fact that 21% of facilities failed to meet even minimum standards on dignity and privacy.

It uncovered evidence of neglect, abuse, discrimination and unfair treatment of frail older people.

The government said reforms would be driven through.

The committee heard evidence of care home residents being left lying in their own urine or excrement.

Their report argued that existing legislation was lacking and should be beefed up to offer older people in care more protection. An "entire culture change" was needed, it said.

ONE WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE "I went to visit my husband on the first day. When I went in he was almost in tears. He said: "Please, please go and get a bottle. I am nearly wetting myself." I rushed out. I got a bottle and I said to him: "Well, why didn't you just ring the nurse?" He said: "I have. For an hour and a half I've been asking for a bottle." When I went out and told the nurse she said "Oh, don't worry, we would have changed the sheets." His dignity at that stage would have gone out of the window." 'My father was neglected'

It criticised the failure of the Department of Health and Ministry of Justice to give leadership and guidance to health and residential care services providers.

And it warned that age discrimination persists in hospitals and care homes in more subtle and indirect ways than in the past.

MPs and peers said the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights should monitor the situation, and ensure older people were treated properly.

There was also a need for a system to allow complaints to be investigated by an independent third party.

'Betrayal of trust'

Committee chairman Andrew Dismore said: "Neglect and ill-treatment of the elderly is a severe abuse of human rights.

"It is a serious betrayal of trust by the very people upon whom older people depend for care.

"We must see a complete change of culture in the health and care services."

Mr Dismore said the Human Rights Act, which came into force seven years ago, was supposed to protect the most vulnerable, but had failed to become a catalyst for positive change.

"I look forward to the day when I walk into a hospital or care home and when I see the usual sign about the staff having the right to be treated with dignity and respect, there is added on to it 'and so do you, the patients and relatives' - or better still, it's the other way around."

Shameful treatment

Kate Jopling, of the charity Help the Aged, said the report had "lifted the lid on the shameful treatment" of older people by health and care services.

She said: "Far from tending to the needs of the most vulnerable, too often these services fail to even respect older people's most basic human rights."

"Surely the shocking examples highlighted by this report provide all the evidence this government needs to justify urgent action to remedy the situation."

Gordon Lishman, of Age Concern, said: "The Department of Health must, as the Committee says, show more leadership in putting human rights at the heart of health and social care."

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said: "The government regards abuse of vulnerable and older people as unacceptable in all its forms and is determined to root it out."

"We are strengthening our leadership role and embarking on a major programme of change which will seek to address the issues raised in this report.

"This includes the integration of the inspection, regulation and complaints systems for health and social care, the review of adult protection guidance and the development of a national strategy to improve dementia services."