Can the COVID-19 pandemic act as a catalyst for enhancing staff status and education?
Why you should read this article:
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To familiarise yourself with the challenges that have affected the care home sector in recent decades
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To understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on care home staff and residents
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To consider how care homes may be reformed to achieve integration of health and social care services for older people
During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older people were discharged from hospitals to care homes to release NHS beds. This influx of new residents whose COVID-19 status was largely unknown added to the many challenges already experienced by care homes, with serious consequences including an increased number of deaths among residents. The social care sector has been fragile for several years and the pandemic has brought the challenges experienced by care homes to the forefront, prompting renewed calls for improved funding and reform.
This article describes the ongoing challenges and additional challenges caused by the pandemic in the care home sector. The authors argue for urgent reform to enhance the status and education of care home staff, move towards registration of the social care workforce in England, and achieve integration of health and social care services for older people.
