Care Campaign For The Vulnerable.. Let’s Talk About... Elderly Care

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable (CCFTV)  was set up over seven years ago to help offer guidance, advice and direct support to families and care workers while championing the rights of our elderly.   Since the start of the Covid pandemic, our not for profit, national safety in elderly care organisation has seen our workload increase with reports coming in of neglect, revenge evictions and families facing a ''blanket ban'' on visiting care homes when it was evident loved ones were declining both emotionally and physically from having family no contact.  One year on from this devastating crisis - our vulnerable elderly have been left without a voice and families have fought to be with elderly relatives, even at the end of their lives.  Throughout this heartwrenching time, we understand the challenges and hardship care providers and staff were faced with and the sterling work so many managers did offering risk assessments to allow safe visits to happen.  Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is leading the call for a public inquiry on the handling of our care homes and the treatment of our elderly.  We want to have examined the confusion on the Government's guidance that was placed around care home visitation and therefore we ask was enough done by this Government to protect our most vulnerable elderly in care and nursing homes during this pandemic.  We speak to a family member CCFTV supported called Jane, a Senior Sales Consultant whose father suffered from Parkinson's and Lewy Body dementia and was evicted from his care home because his daughter questioned his care and the care providers ''unfair'' visitation restriction policy.

Diana is one of many family members struggling with her mental health from being denied visits to her Dad in a care home.  Families are reporting to Care Campaign for the Vulnerable suffering from depression and anxiety and feelings of overwhelming guilt believing they are abandoning vulnerable family members in care homes.  We understand care homes and staff are doing exceptional work helping to protect residents and carers during the coronavirus but we remain concerned receiving a high number of correspondance regarding neglect and families not kept updated on loved ones well being during restrictions.  Today, CCFTV speaks to Diane who contacted us to offer her support to our Let Loved Ones In campaign - a family member /advocate to be treated as a key worker and allowed into care homes. Diana bravely speaks about the depression she now ''fights'' every day unable to visit or see her dad since July.  She talks openly about her anxiety and how this escalates believing she is abandoning her dad who lives with late stage dementia.   Diana's story is not an isolated one and we are currently supporting family members telling us they are suffering severe anxiety since lock down began unable to be with elderly loved ones in care homes. 

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable speaks to a care worker who reported abuse against an elderly resident in her place of work.  She talks about carers that raise concerns are not always protected.

Robert Kilgour is a Scottish property developer, invester, philanthropist and serial entrepreneur.  His first business venture was running a stall selling jeans and t-shirts at Edinburgh's Ingliston Market while still a student at Stirling University.  A decade later, in 1988, he founded Four Seasons Health Care, which opened its first care home in May 1989.  When Robert left the company in 2000 it was the UK's fifth largest care home operator, running 101 care homes and employing 6,500 staff.  Four seasons is currently one of the UK's largest care home operators with about 190 care homes, caring for around 9,000 residents and employing over 12,000 staff.  In 2004 he founded and is currently the Chairman of Renaissance Care which operates 15 care homes in Scotland and employs 1,100 staff.  Robert is also founder and CEO of Dow Investments Plc, now in its third decade.  He is a Director and co founder of video and security systems specialists, NW Security Group and was also a founder shareholder and until he engineered its sale in 2019, Chairman of Kingdom FM Radio.  Robert holds several other Non - Executive Directorships and Senior Advisor roles. Born in Edinburgh, brought up in Fife and educated at Loretto School in Musselburgh, Roberts now decides his time between London and his home in Fife, whenever possible raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support. We are delighted he has joined Care Campaign For the Vulnerable’s podcast Let’s Talk About Elderly Care... welcome Robert Kilgour.