UK - "Patient abuse caught on film labelled 'torture'&q

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13548222

"Police in Bristol have arrested four people after secret filming by BBC Panorama found a pattern of serious abuse at a residential hospital.
Winterbourne View treats people with learning disabilities and autism.
Andrew McDonnell, a leading expert in working with adults with mental disabilities, labelled some of the examples captured on film 'torture'."

It's shocking to watch, and the staff have only been able to get away with this level of abuse because the residents are so severely disabled. One resident even told her parents that she was being abused but they didn't believe her until the BBC showed them secretly recorded video.
These places are justified by 'challenging behaviour', but every example of challenging behaviour by residents was a result of provocation by staff, seemingly for their own amusement.

Since the CQC has totally failed here one can only wonder how many other places like this exist.

I watched the full programme last night it's far worse than even comes across on that new item, It made me cry it was so horrific. I hope those responsible go to prison for a very long time.

Here is the full programme if you want to watch it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... e_Exposed/

If you are not in the UK you will need this free download to watch it:

http://www.expatshield.com/

Four people have been arrested, and we can guess who they are, but that hospital employed far more, who just stood back and allowed the abuse to take place when it should have been apparent within minutes that something was wrong. I get the impression that the nurse who contacted the BBC no longer works there - I imagine he resigned when his complaints weren't taken seriously. There's no training required to be a care assistant, but what training should it take to recognise that sort of abuse? And the qualified nurses didn't do anything about it either. The problem isn't just a few thugs employed as care assistants, it goes to the top.

When the BBC showed their video to Simon's parents they immediately retrieved him and took him home, and his disabilities didn't seem so unmanageable when we saw him living with his family, so what was the justification for keeping him locked up in that place?

It's not clear if any of the residents were formally detained under the Mental Health Act or Mental Capacity Act, but they certainly weren't free to leave, and there have been cases of people being imprisoned in these places against their and their families wishes because of a diagnosis of autism. The people we saw being abused were uniquely vulnerable because of their disabilities, but we shouldn't think that this couldn't happen to us or members of our families. It's not as if the abuse of elderly people in case homes is unknown either.

I was not surprised by the level of abuse in this care home. Why? because I've been in a similar situation albeit not nearly as horrendous as what I saw on the TV last night. I also know someone who lives in my previous care home who used to be treated just like that in a different home he was in. He has mid-functioning autism and poor understanding of right and wrong, and it was only recently, when staff discussed it with him, that he even realised what had been done to him in the past was wrong.

I'm okay because I can speak out against any abuse I suffer or see, but others can't and that really bugs me.

_________________
I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

In the programme it said that Simone was 'taken' into care and briefly mentioned it being something to do with headaches leading to violent outbursts and her parents being elderly. It didn't say explicitly but I got the impression it was the authorities decision rather than her parents.

This is why it's best to avoid directly interacting with the state as much as possible if one can help it. People that are without compassion working in positions of care are very common, even if you ignore the thugs.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the authority responsible actively tried to prevent this story getting out either when you consider the way they are with people that want to record their appointments for whatever reason, or don't want to answer certain questions to do with lifestyle choice.

Such abuse exists in the US as well. My mom was posioned in a mental hospital by the staff and left for dead with no medical care....she however survived and I pulled a few strings with the insurace company and got her out of a court ordered temporary institutionalization.

I was also at a long term facility which had serious issues with neglect.

That is really horrible that such practices occur at those facilities in the UK....I hope this sparks regulation reform for the better.
There needs to be a discussion in the media about tighter quality controls and safety standards of these facilities and more emphasis on community in home support.