Abstract
During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older people were discharged from hospitals to care homes to release NHS beds. This influx of new residents whose COVID-19 status was largely unknown added to the many challenges already experienced by care homes, with serious consequences including an increased number of deaths among residents. The social care sector has been fragile for several years and the pandemic has brought the challenges experienced by care homes to the forefront, prompting renewed calls for improved funding and reform. This article describes the ongoing challenges and additional challenges caused by the pandemic in the care home sector. The authors argue for urgent reform to enhance the status and education of care home staff, move towards registration of the social care workforce in England, and achieve integration of health and social care services for older people.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | (In-press) |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Nursing older people |
| Volume | (In-press) |
| Early online date | 19 May 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 19 May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
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Funder
Professor Ala Szczepura’s work is funded as part of the Data Driven Research and Innovation (DDRI) Programme for Ageing at Coventry University. The sponsor did not play any role in the writing of this article. This article reflects the viewpoint of the authors. The two authors contributed equally to the writing of this article Publisher Copyright: © RCN Publishing Company Limited 2021.Keywords
- COVID-19
- care homes
- coronavirus disease 2019
- education
- nursing homes
- older people
- professional
- professional issues
- staffing levels
- training
- workforce
- workforce development
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gerontology