If you or a loved one has been the victim of negligent treatment, the typical first step is to complain about the care home in question.
A 2018 study by UCL found that around half of care home staff respondents reported ‘carrying out or observing one or more potentially abusive or neglectful behaviour at least sometimes in the preceding 3 months’, with ‘some abuse reported as happening “at least sometimes” in 91/92 care homes’.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about where, when and how you can complain about a nursing home, taking you a step closer to obtaining a successful claim.
How Do I Complain about a Nursing Home?
If you want to learn more about how to complain about a home care agency but feel nervous, don’t worry; you have every right to question your care.
To complain about a nursing home, you can:
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Try to resolve the problem informally
Typically, the first step in how to complain about a nursing home is to complain informally. Identify the care home manager and communicate your concerns to them. You can do this verbally or in writing, but keep a record of all your communications for your reference. This may be enough to resolve the matter.
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Write a formal letter of complaint
If the issue is not resolved informally, you should request the complaints procedure from your care home. Try to do this as soon as possible. While you typically have 12 months to make a formal complaint, doing it sooner can ensure the details of your concerns are fresh in your memory.
When writing your complaint letter, be specific and include how you expect the matter to be resolved. Try to be as concise and polite as possible to ensure the communications stay focused on the matter at hand. Our team can offer assistance with letter writing if you are finding it tricky.
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Wait for the care home’s response
The care home will be obliged to respond to a formal complaint within a specific timeframe. They may apologise, offer compensation, or invite you to a meeting to discuss your concerns. You may highlight your complaints about the aged care facility or any other issues you have experienced.
You can attend the meeting if you wish, but if you really do not like the idea of attending, you are not obliged to do so; just insist on a full written response. Having everything written down can help keep a record of all your communications and aid our solicitors if you choose to take further action.
Taking Home Healthcare Complaints Further
If the complaint hasn’t been resolved or you’re not satisfied with the response you receive, you can escalate the complaint by doing several things.
For example, you can contact your local council (if the local council funds the home). Research their website to view their specific care home complaints procedure.
Furthermore, if you are unhappy with how the local council handles your complaint, you can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Your unresolved complaint will be investigated further, and the organisation can recommend further action or compensation.
How to Complain to CQC about a Care Home
When it comes to how to complain about a private care home, you may first think of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC is an independent regulator of health and social care services in England, established to ensure that care services meet essential quality and safety standards.
This organisation can investigate quality and safety issues but does not handle complaints or offer compensation. Instead, if you are looking to take legal action, Medical Solicitors will help you navigate this process.
Concluding on How to Complain about a Care Home
Hopefully, you now better understand how to complain about a residential care home.
If you have any queries or concerns about how to complain about medical care, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert team of lawyers at Medical Solicitors. We can help you with each stage of the complaints procedure and carry out any necessary legal action if you wish to make a care home negligence claim.
We provide our clients with a Conditional Fee Agreement (also known as no win, no fee), so you have nothing to lose by getting in touch with us.