Plan to tackle care home abuses by involving families

Relatives of care-home residents will be able to conduct inspections to help ensure their family members are being well-treated under plans being considered by ministers. The care watchdog will also start publishing a "good care guide" assessing the quality of both residential homes and carers who look after older people in their own homes as part of a revamp designed to root out poor care. Paul Burstow, the care services minister, is studying the plans which have been suggested by those receiving care and their families. He and other ministers believe the ideas would improve the care of older people, which has recently seen several abuse scandals, and has asked officials to plan how to implement them. Care home residents' relatives would be allowed to help scrutinise the quality of those homes and domiciliary care staff as part of expanded plans for HealthWatch, the new organisation starting in 2013 which will champion the rights of both NHS patients and care users. The "good care guide" would be provided by the Care Quality Commission, England's health and social care regulator, as an online resource to help older people and relatives plan where to go when they need help.