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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Home pressures
— failures of care and pressure ulcer problems in the community - the findings of serious case reviews | | Author(s) | Jill Manthorpe, Stephen Martineau |
| Journal title | Journal of Adult Protection, vol 19, no 6, 2017 |
| Publisher | Emerald, 2017 |
| Pages | pp 345-356 |
| Source | http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/jap |
| Keywords | Injuries ; Wounds ; Leg ulcer ; Death ; At risk ; Living in the community ; Protection [vulnerable adults] ; Failure. |
| Annotation | Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) (formerly Serious Case Reviews or SCRs) may be held in England when a vulnerable adult dies, is harmed or at risk and local agencies have not responded to the abuse or neglect. The purpose of this paper was to present findings from a documentary analysis of these reviews to ascertain what recommendations are made about pressure ulcer prevention and treatment at home, setting these in the context of safeguarding, and assessing what lessons may be learned by considering them as a group. Following a literature search, 18 relevant SCRs were identified, one of which was a case summary. Two SARs were also identified covering pressure ulcers that had been acquired or worsened when the individual was living at home. Most of these inquired into the individual's circumstances, their acceptance of care and support, the actions of others in their family or professionals, and the events leading up to the death or harm. Failures to have followed guidance were noted among professionals, and problems within wider health and care systems were identified. Recommendations included calls for greater training on pressure ulcers for home care workers, but also greater risk communication and better adherence to clinical guidelines. A small number focused on neglect by family members, others on self-neglect, including some vulnerable adults' lack of capacity to care for themselves or to access help. In some SCRs the presence of a pressure ulcer was only mentioned circumstantially. This analysis highlights the multitude of complex social and health situations that gives rise to pressure ulcers among people living at home. Several SCRs observe problems in the wider communications with and between health and care providers. Nonetheless poor care quality and negligence are reported in some SCRs. Cases of self-neglect give rise to challenging practice situations. While practices and policies about poor quality care and safeguarding in the form of prevention of wilful neglect are emerging, they often relate to hospital and care home settings. Preventing and treating pressure ulcers may be part of safeguarding in its broadest sense but raises the question of whether training, expertise and support on this subject or wider self-neglect and neglect by others are sufficiently robust for home care workers and community-based professionals. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-180119205 A |
| Classmark | CU: CUC: CRT: CW: CA3: K4: CA3G: 5HP |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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