Care homes are rarely a source of good news. The system is underfunded, understaffed and overextended, and homes are routinely found to be inadequate. Of the 2,934 homes the Care Quality Commission inspected in the year to December 2022, 1,224 were deemed inadequate or requiring improvement.
Low expectations and negative stereotypes, particularly in the media, exacerbate the problem. But when positive relationships are placed at the centre of adult social care, care homes have the potential to be joyful, lively places.
