UK Covid Inquiry: Hourglass Feedback
Surely They Deserve Better? What the Castlehill Exposé Tells Us About Abuse in Later Life
The BBC’s undercover investigation into Castlehill Care Home in Inverness makes for deeply uncomfortable viewing.
Residents left crying out for help, sobbing in distress, waiting hours to be taken to the toilet just a few feet away. Older people found in soiled clothes, lying in rooms heavy with neglect. Stories of violence, humiliation and basic needs being overlooked in a home that billed itself as “luxury” at £1,800 per week. No one should ever lose their dignity in this way.
At Hourglass, we know the devastation these stories cause. We hear daily from families who place their trust in institutions to provide safe, compassionate care, only to feel betrayed when that trust is broken. Investigations like this shine a vital light on systemic failings: chronic understaffing, poor pay and a system stretched to breaking point.
But there is another truth that rarely makes the headlines and one that our Helpline reveals every single day.
Most abuse of older people does not take place in care homes.
It happens in the home, behind closed doors, often at the hands of those closest to the victim. Sons, daughters, partners and carers. Abuse that ranges from neglect and emotional cruelty to economic exploitation and physical harm. That reality is harder to film and harder to expose. But no less damaging.
The thread running through all of it is the same: older people denied safety, respect and dignity in later life.
If we are to change this, we need more than outrage. We need action. That means:
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Real accountability for care providers and stronger safeguarding in every setting.
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Investment in staff pay, training and support so the people entrusted with care are properly valued.
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Greater awareness that abuse of older people is not confined to institutions, but is a widespread issue in homes across the UK.
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A national conversation about what it means to build a Safer Ageing society, where dignity is a right, not a privilege.
As the journalist who went undercover asked herself on leaving Castlehill: surely they deserve better? We know the answer. They do. And Hourglass will keep fighting until every older person is safe, respected and able to age with dignity.
Tap here to see a video from the BBC and to read the full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g78yj2v2go
If you or anyone you know is suffering from abuse contact our 247 helpline
0808 808 8141
