When I was 13, I learned about workhouses. My history teacher, Mrs Jones, brought to life the horror and helplessness of people in centuries past who were forced to live in degrading institutions. When I read the Guardian’s investigation into privately run care homes and considered its evidence that people without savings are more likely to end up in “inadequate” facilities, it hit me: are we slipping back in time?
You may think this is an exaggeration, and you wouldn’t be alone. If there’s one thing I’ve heard repeatedly from those who have yet to experience the system it is disbelief. Surely, they say, it’s not that bad. It’s true, there are excellent care homes and there are care workers who genuinely care. But since co-founding the People’s Care Watchdog (PCW) I have heard too many stories that do not belong in a civilised society.
