0:00:02 > 0:00:05- Everything has an impact on your life.- Whatever your age...
0:00:05 > 0:00:08From the type of house we live in... 'Oh, this looks nice.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Yes, it's been completely renovated throughout.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13To how much money we have to spend.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Your wage ends up being like a normal working wage, which is good.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18What we put in our bodies...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22I don't think I've ever been "fat" fat, but I have put weight on.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'To the secrets of our genetic make-up.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27You are going to live to be 140.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That'll do, I'll take everything I can get.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33So, finding out about all those things and more could help you
0:00:33 > 0:00:35mature brilliantly...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Or slow down the ageing process just a little.
0:00:38 > 0:00:44We've tracked down the very best tips and advice for holding back the years.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45And now, with the help of our team,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48we're going to pass them on to you!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51To show you how to have the time of your life...
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Whenever that may be.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Hello, and welcome to the show that says life begins...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Whenever you want it to. Here's what's coming up...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Today, we have our own investigation into the good,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09the bad and the ugly sides of
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Britain's social care system, and meet the
0:01:11 > 0:01:14people seeking to challenge it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19So, Eileen, what made you become a whistle-blower in the first place?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I was working in my first care home, it was my first care job,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and I started to see widespread abuse of people.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Doctor Chatterjee puts some people to the test to find out the
0:01:29 > 0:01:33difference between forgetfulness and memory loss.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Lemon, key, and ball.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Lemon, key, ball.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And does your age matter when it comes to holidays?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I've been finding out more on the road and on the waves.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Are there any particular issues that the more mature traveller needs to
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- think about?- I think the most important thing they have to
0:01:51 > 0:01:54consider when they're travelling is insurance.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57We have sold flights to people to Australia, and their insurance has
0:01:57 > 0:01:59been more expensive than their flights.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It's a controversial issue -
0:02:04 > 0:02:08who is going to take care of us when we get older, and who's going to pay
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- for it?- That's a question that's been coming up time and time again.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It's long been acknowledged that there's something of a postcode
0:02:15 > 0:02:18lottery when it comes to the social care system in the UK,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21but what about within the same postcode?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Well, Fiona's been to Kent to investigate a story that is
0:02:23 > 0:02:25particularly personal for her.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34My interest in social care started when I experienced it at first hand.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38My mum and my dad both had early-onset dementia in middle
0:02:38 > 0:02:42age, and both, I feel, were very badly let down by the system.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It really has affected me ever since, and I don't think it'll ever
0:02:45 > 0:02:47go away.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Which is why, when I knew I was taking part in Holding Back The Years,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54it's a subject I wanted - I needed -
0:02:54 > 0:02:58to cover again, to see how far we've come in the years in between.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Have things got better or have they got worse?
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Some residents were given overdoses or the wrong medication altogether.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And a man, whose catheter became twisted, cried out in agony,
0:03:15 > 0:03:16saying he wanted to die.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19If the news headlines are to be believed,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22then the answer to my question is quite clear.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Betty, who has dementia and heart problems, was in a nursing home.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The family had concerns, so put in a secret camera.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33It soon showed a care worker pushing the chair Betty was slumped in
0:03:33 > 0:03:35sharply towards a desk.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Then, when Betty objects to her top being changed,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41her head is slammed back into the chair.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43No, I don't want to!
0:03:43 > 0:03:45SHE SCREAMS
0:03:47 > 0:03:49A recent report, meanwhile, suggests that,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51in some parts of England alone,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55more than half of care home places are rated inadequate or requiring
0:03:55 > 0:03:59improvement. But of course statistics only tell you one side of
0:03:59 > 0:04:01a story.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It's the words of those who have experienced the worst of the social
0:04:04 > 0:04:06care system that matter the most.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13In 2011, Maggie's mother, Rose, was suffering from dementia and
0:04:13 > 0:04:17went into Woodgate care home in Maidstone.
0:04:17 > 0:04:23It's since been demolished, but was run by the Abbeyfield Kent Society.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27I'd gone in after work, and it was tea-time, and a carer was going
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- around with the meds trolley. - Right.- And she said to me,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34"Do you know when your mum's meds are going to be delivered?"
0:04:34 > 0:04:36I said, "Pardon?"
0:04:36 > 0:04:40And she said, "Your mum's meds. She says she hasn't had her meds for two weeks."
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Her mum's medication had included morphine patches.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Clearly, without them, Rose had been in a lot of pain.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54We'd been assured by the home that it wasn't necessary for us to
0:04:54 > 0:04:57continue to deliver the meds to the home,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01that they would be picked up and automatically delivered from the
0:05:01 > 0:05:07surgery to the home, along with everybody else's meds.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10So they said, "Please don't worry about it, it's absolutely fine,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12"we've got this system in place."
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Well, of course, it transpired that that system didn't work.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Maggie was forced to get an emergency prescription from her own
0:05:19 > 0:05:24family doctor that night, and she raced into town to a chemist.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28And they were finishing up the prescription and I went outside and
0:05:28 > 0:05:30called social services.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34I photocopied all Mum's medical records, since she'd been in there,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37that said, "No meds, no meds."
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And I just couldn't believe it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Maggie complained to the Woodgate home and to Kent County Council.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48There was a hearing that was set up by social services, because
0:05:48 > 0:05:52the police decided not to prosecute.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54What impact did it have on you?
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It gave us some form of closure, but I think
0:05:58 > 0:06:01the one thing that was truly
0:06:01 > 0:06:04upsetting is that the management structure of
0:06:04 > 0:06:07the home really didn't give a
0:06:07 > 0:06:12thought to us and the effect it had had on us as a family.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Maggie is now dealing with her father's care needs.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19I have time to drop you off and pick you back up later, if you want.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24The experience her mother had has left a lasting impact on the entire family.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27The decisions that Dad and I and my sister had to make about
0:06:27 > 0:06:31putting her there in the first place, which anybody that's been in
0:06:31 > 0:06:33that situation will understand how difficult
0:06:33 > 0:06:37that alone is, because there's that guilt that you live with, that I
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- physically took her there. - Rose was moved to a different home,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45where she received palliative care following a cancer diagnosis.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47She died in 2014.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53What's clear from Maggie's story is that the crisis in Britain's care
0:06:53 > 0:06:56homes isn't just on the treatment side.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It's also what happens when genuine concerns of neglect or abuse are
0:06:59 > 0:07:03raised. Are relatives or carers with complaints listened to?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09One woman who thinks not is Eileen Chubb.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12After witnessing abuse while working in a care home,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14she became a whistle-blower.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22So, Eileen, what made you become a whistle-blower in the first place?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I was working in my first care home, it was my first care job,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30and I started to see widespread abuse of people.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Eileen's natural response to seeing what she considered to be abuse was
0:07:33 > 0:07:36to tell her managers immediately,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39but she didn't get the reactions she expected.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And when I realised the management weren't going to act, cos I'd
0:07:43 > 0:07:46gone and reported everything, I took the step of going to social
0:07:46 > 0:07:50services, and I said to the other care workers, I'd understand if they
0:07:50 > 0:07:54didn't want to speak out, because we were risking our jobs.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And they all, without hesitation, said they'd give evidence.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Even though the complaints against the care home were upheld after a
0:08:01 > 0:08:04report by Bromley social services,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Eileen and her colleagues lost their jobs.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11They arrested the abusers, but everything we did wasn't enough,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15because the company put the abusers in other homes, even though we had
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- no jobs.- This prompted Eileen to start a campaign group called
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Compassion In Care.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23To be honest, you know,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26it's vital that there are charities that challenge these organisations.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- Well, you're not doing it for your own good, are you?- No, we're not, and at the end of the day,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33we're seeing people suffer who could have been saved.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37I'll be very honest with you,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40what I'm discovering today suggests that not a lot has moved on in the
0:08:40 > 0:08:42years since my own mum and dad were in care,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46but I don't want you to think that it's universally grim.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48There are glimmers of hope.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Hale Place care home, near Maidstone in Kent, caters for a challenging
0:08:53 > 0:08:57group of clients with advanced dementia.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01It's been rated by the Care Quality Commission as an outstanding care
0:09:01 > 0:09:03home since 2015.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08So, let's see what outstanding looks like.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12That's it, now squeeze those hands tight, that's it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Have it nice and tight. There you go.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Hello. Here's your mate.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- Oh!- Are you ready for him? - How lovely.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- DOG WHINES - Yes!- Here he comes.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30This home is all about light and space.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It doesn't feel institutional, it feels personal,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37but it's the residents' faces that tell the real story of why this
0:09:37 > 0:09:41place is ranked outstanding.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44For you. Grace.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Yes. You're beautiful, aren't you?
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And although many of them can't talk for themselves,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54their loved ones are happy to be here, which says a lot.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57You look at so many different places, and they are big
0:09:57 > 0:10:01institutions, and there are people just sitting about. Here,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04there are always people with them.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It was a decision, a very, very hard decision to make,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09but I just knew that the small-scale, sort of, more personal
0:10:09 > 0:10:12approach was the right approach for my mum.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The people here just care so much.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19They have a small staff and we get to know them,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22everybody gets to know them. It's like an extended family, and they
0:10:22 > 0:10:25care so much and they treat them with respect.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Unfortunately, however,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Hale Place is in the minority when it comes to care homes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Currently there are only 2% in England ranked outstanding.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37So, what are the secrets?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I'm meeting with owner-manager Kevin Hewlett.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45We have our organised in-house activities from outside people,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47our therapeutic sessions,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and the only thing we're looking at there is that the residents are
0:10:51 > 0:10:53benefiting from that. But going on from that,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56as a good example, a few days ago,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59four of our residents went to a concert, and one of them actually
0:10:59 > 0:11:01saying, "This is the best thing I've ever done."
0:11:01 > 0:11:04And it's those sorts of things that'll touch their lives,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08that'll enhance their lives and literally make them happy.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- The thing that we look for. - Oh, no, no, no.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Not going to hurt you, are they?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Because we wouldn't let them do that, no.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Today I've seen that, just within a few short miles of one another,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24there's a vast disparity in standards of social care
0:11:24 > 0:11:28in this country. Like the Wild West, there's the good, the bad and the
0:11:28 > 0:11:30very, very ugly,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32which means, to get some answers,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I'm going to meet the sheriff of this system.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36But who is that?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Well, her name is Andrea Sutcliffe,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and she is Head of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and I'm about to have a showdown with her.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Find out later how I get on, when I put the questions from a care home
0:11:52 > 0:11:54manager, a whistle-blower,
0:11:54 > 0:11:59and a family directly to the person who should have the answers.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Now, how do you tell the difference between natural memory loss and the
0:12:05 > 0:12:07sort that might signal a more serious cause?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It's something that a lot of us worry about.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Well, here's our doctor on your doorstep, GP Rangan Chatterjee,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15with some advice you won't want to forget.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17MUSIC: Memory by Elaine Paige
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Memory - it's a complicated old thing.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23You might be able to remember things that happened years ago,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26but you can't recall what you had for dinner last night.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28You forget why you came into a room,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32and struggle with a simple password or PIN number.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36But how do we know what's normal and what's a cause for worry when it
0:12:36 > 0:12:37comes to memory?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Well, today I've come along to a place where they're dedicated to
0:12:42 > 0:12:45answering just that. It's called a memory clinic.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48First up, psychiatrist Doctor Sajid Ali gives me the lowdown on the
0:12:48 > 0:12:52different types of memory - and there's a lot to remember!
0:12:52 > 0:12:55What are the different kinds of memory?
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I try to categorise in four different ways.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01First of all, I talk about recent memory, so, for example,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04what we're talking about now, you'll remember what I've just said.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Then we have long-term memory, for example,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09what you ate for breakfast yesterday or what you did last year for
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Christmas. And then we have semantic memory, so that's meanings of
0:13:12 > 0:13:16things, for example, if I asked you, what's the shape of a tiger,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19what colour's an apple? And then finally, procedural.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21So, remembering procedures.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25For example, how to switch on a television, how to ride a bicycle.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Is it inevitable that our memory will worsen as we age?
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I use the analogy of general musculoskeletal fitness.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So, for example, if you were doing a 100 meter dash, you'd expect,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38as you get older, for your times to slow.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Now, what research has shown is our speed of recall slows as we get
0:13:42 > 0:13:45older, so if I ask you to recall something,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48an 80-year-old compared to, if you're 30 years old,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51you will still recall the information, but the speed of
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- processing will slow.- I guess one of the big questions for people is,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59if your memory's not working as well as it used to be,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02does that mean you're on your way to developing dementia?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Yeah, that's a good question, and the answer is absolutely not.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Having a bad memory or being forgetful alone may not actually
0:14:08 > 0:14:10affect your day-to-day functioning at all.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12You might just need to use some memory aids.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15For dementia, it's a separate pathological condition where your
0:14:15 > 0:14:19disorders of thinking get to a point where it's actually affecting your
0:14:19 > 0:14:23- day-to-day life.- So if you find yourself becoming more forgetful as
0:14:23 > 0:14:25you get older, don't panic.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It could just be a sign of natural ageing.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31That's not to say you can't do anything about it, however.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Here at the clinic, they can use simple tests to give your memory a
0:14:34 > 0:14:37checkup, and we're going to see how it works.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41We've invited along four people...
0:14:46 > 0:14:49..to have their memories put through the mill.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Hello. 'Not only have they a wide range of ages,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55'but also experiences.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Nice to meet you all. How you doing?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Shall we start here? How's your memory?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Well, I'm 66, so therefore I was thinking that, you know,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06it's slightly worse. Particularly names of people, for example.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09How about yourself? Any concerns over your memory?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13I can't remember things that happened years ago, so...
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- You cannot?- No, not really. - I'll have that feeling of not
0:15:16 > 0:15:18knowing why I've gone in that room, but then I can
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- bring it back, basically, by going out and coming back in.- Yeah, OK.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I have to write things down and make sure I checked.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- And you didn't used to have to do that?- I didn't used to have to do that.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32- Do you think your children have noticed your memory getting a bit worse?- Yes, definitely.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- What have they said to you?- They're not really bothered,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- they just tell me I'm getting older! - LAUGHTER
0:15:37 > 0:15:41So, time to see how I were volunteers fair with Doctor Ali's test.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44A full test would look at a wider health assessment,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47but today we're focusing on memory recall.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I'm going to give you three words, and what I'd like you to do is
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- repeat those back to me. - And it's hard not to play along.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Lemon, key and ball.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Lemon, key, ball.
0:15:59 > 0:16:0373 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge.
0:16:03 > 0:16:0673 Kingsbridge?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09John Deacon, 75 Beresford Road.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13John Beresford, 75 Deacon Close.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16On the number 100, keep taking seven away.
0:16:16 > 0:16:1993.
0:16:19 > 0:16:2186.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Can you name the woman who was Prime Minister here, back in the 1980s?
0:16:25 > 0:16:30- Margaret Thatcher.- The USA President was assassinated in the 1960s.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32It's Kennedy, John F.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard close.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- And just one more time. - Harry Hall...
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Birch. 73 King's Lynn.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45While they continue to have their memories poked,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I'm off to meet Doctor Sandrine Thuret from Kings College, London.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53She's part of an international research project into memory and
0:16:53 > 0:16:57ageing, and they've discovered some very interesting new research.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00So, Sandrine, how much do we really know about memory?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02So, we have known for a long time that the hippocampus,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05which is a structure in the centre of the brain,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07is important for certain types of
0:17:07 > 0:17:10memory formation, like episodic memory.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15But more recently, the more exciting discovery that has been made is, in
0:17:15 > 0:17:18the hippocampus, we can make new neurons as an adult.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21As an adult? For many years, we've thought that our nerve cells,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24once they fully develop, that's it.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27So how does the growth of these new nerve cells help us?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29They are important for patent separation,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32which is the ability of distinguishing similar memories.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Such as, every day you come home,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40you bring your key and then maybe you will put them back in your bag.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43And then the next day, maybe you put them on your desk,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46so we think that these new neurons are important for patent separation,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49basically recognising where you have put your same key in the same room,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51but in a slightly different place every day.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53So what does this mean for you and me?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Well, if we have the ability to generate new memory neurons,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58as the doctor suggests,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01then we also might be able to either encourage their growth or slow down
0:18:01 > 0:18:04the decline with certain lifestyle changes.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08But what are they? Time to separate memory fact from memory myth.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13There's lots of stories in the media about various things that might have
0:18:13 > 0:18:15a positive impact on our memory.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20- Diet.- Yes, high sugar diet, high saturated fat diet are probably bad.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- Exercise?- Exercise is good. - Being chronically sleep deprived?
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- Will be bad.- Chronically stressed? - Bad.- Omega-3 supplements?
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Probably eating the actual fish would be better.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Supplements are not bad, but read the label, because we want fish
0:18:35 > 0:18:38derived omega-3 fatty acid and not plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41which wouldn't reach, basically, the brain.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43What about brain training, like crosswords?
0:18:43 > 0:18:48So, if you train the brain at doing a task, it will be extremely good at
0:18:48 > 0:18:52doing that task, but maybe some more spatial memory or patent separation
0:18:52 > 0:18:54training would help.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We can do things that might reduce the rate of decline.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- Is that fair to say? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02And it looks as though, once we hit 40, that's probably the age to start
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- really paying attention to this. - Absolutely. Or even before!
0:19:08 > 0:19:10So, some food for thought there,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13but now it's time to get back to Doctor Ali's assessment.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15The results were quite interesting.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Nicki, it was you I spoke to first, and I felt you did very well on the
0:19:18 > 0:19:20memory tests. Attention,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23you did struggle a little bit with the mathematics-related question.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26My attention gets wandered a bit.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29So, James, your recall was good with the name and address aspect when I
0:19:29 > 0:19:32asked you first, but as a little extra test, I asked you the same
0:19:32 > 0:19:36question again twice, then you actually got the question wrong.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39So, I mean, there's something to mention there about repetition as
0:19:39 > 0:19:41well, in terms of a strategy when you have to remember particular
0:19:41 > 0:19:44facts, and that would be one technique you might use.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47As regards long-term and semantic memory,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49the volunteers performed very well,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52but it was short-term recall that was the main issue.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Is that the thing that goes first in age-related memory decline,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- short-term memory?- Very commonly, it could be one of the earliest signs.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04That, along with word-finding difficulties. So, when you're speaking to someone,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07you sometimes have difficulty finding the exact right word.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Those could be some of the early signs, but not absolutely necessary
0:20:10 > 0:20:13that we see them first. It depends on the case.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Well, it seems our Fab Four have discovered things about their memory
0:20:17 > 0:20:20they didn't know. So what do they do now?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Well, there are ways to help their
0:20:23 > 0:20:26memories remember the important things.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Doctor Ali, people who find their memory isn't quite as good as it
0:20:29 > 0:20:33used to be, are there some strategies that they can adopt to help them?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36You can use memory aids, you can use prompts, you can get your
0:20:36 > 0:20:38medication, ask your GPs to provide it in a dosette box or a
0:20:38 > 0:20:40blister pack.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Phone apps that can help, so that you get sent reminders for when it's
0:20:43 > 0:20:46time to take your medication every single day.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49These are basic strategies just for memory alone,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51but if you're having trouble with other aspects,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55for example finding your way, again that's what we use satnavs for now,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57or you could get a family member, for example,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00to accompany you to appointments if you find that helps you.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So, lots of different strategies you could use.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Memory clinics like this one are a reminder that we've come a long way
0:21:07 > 0:21:10when it comes to how we view the mind.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12But so much of it still remains a mystery.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So here's some top tips to remember...
0:21:14 > 0:21:17One - not all memory loss means you have dementia.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Two - there are lifestyle changes that will help slow the natural
0:21:21 > 0:21:24decline of our memory, and simple mind-training techniques that will
0:21:24 > 0:21:26help improve it.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Three - if memory loss begins to interfere with how you're functioning
0:21:29 > 0:21:32in everyday life, then go and see
0:21:32 > 0:21:35your GP, who might refer you to a memory clinic.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But let's leave the final words to our memory masterclass.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42So, what did you all think? How was that?
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I think I got some reassurance out of it, to say it's OK
0:21:46 > 0:21:50if I can't remember things, not to worry too much.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I must admit, I'd always thought a lot of it was hereditary, you know,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55that it really is the luck of the draw,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59that you've got more control than you think in terms of, you can still
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- improve it.- So you are walking away from this empowered?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Yes.- Yes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Remember, although our memory does worsen as we get older,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11there's plenty that you can do to slow down the process.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20One way of keeping your mind sharp, of course, is with our daily puzzle.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22All you've got to do is watch the following clips and work out when
0:22:22 > 0:22:24they all took place.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And the question is simple, as always -
0:22:27 > 0:22:30what was the year that was?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Here's how the game works.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39We're going to show you a few key events that all happened in the
0:22:39 > 0:22:41space of a year, but which year?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44And here's why you should play along.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Psychologists have said that nostalgia can promote a sense of
0:22:47 > 0:22:49wellbeing and vitality in us all.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54So this could help you hold back the years.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57MUSIC: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
0:22:59 > 0:23:02To reaffirm the unanimous decision of March the 8th,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05to declare official, in accordance with rule 41,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08the strike action...
0:23:08 > 0:23:10# Wake me up before you go-go
0:23:10 > 0:23:12# Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo
0:23:12 > 0:23:16# Wake me up before you go-go
0:23:16 > 0:23:19# I don't want to miss it when you hit that high
0:23:19 > 0:23:22# Wake me up before you go-go
0:23:22 > 0:23:24# Cos I'm not planning on going solo
0:23:24 > 0:23:29# Wake me up before you go-go
0:23:29 > 0:23:31# Take me dancing tonight. #
0:23:35 > 0:23:37MUSIC: 99 Red Balloons by Nena
0:23:37 > 0:23:39# Back at base, sparks in the software
0:23:39 > 0:23:42# Flash the message, something's out there
0:23:42 > 0:23:45# Floating in the summer sky
0:23:45 > 0:23:48# 99 red balloons go by... #
0:23:54 > 0:23:59Not everything Sir Geoffrey had said pleased Mr Gorbachev or vice versa.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01The basic disagreements are still there.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04But both sides know now that they've established a relationship they can
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- build on. - I like Mr Gorbachev.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09We can do business together.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13# 99 red balloons
0:24:13 > 0:24:16# Floating in the summer sky... #
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And we'll give you the answer at the end of the show.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Over-50-year-olds now account for 58% of the tourism and holiday
0:24:22 > 0:24:25market, which proves that just because you've reached a certain
0:24:25 > 0:24:27age, it doesn't mean you're ready to
0:24:27 > 0:24:29put on your slippers and stay at home.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- I've never owned a pair of slippers.- Have you not?- No, I really...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I don't like them! So what's the best option for you when it comes to
0:24:35 > 0:24:37holidaying back the years?
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Bill - you didn't tell me about this - went on an excursion to find out.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Welcome to the Holiday World Show 2018, here in Belfast...
0:24:52 > 0:24:55..where people are busy checking out vacations across the world,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59staycations here at home, and a lot,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and I mean a lot, of cruises.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I just hope the fact it's being held in the heart of the Titanic
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Exhibition Centre isn't a bad omen.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11With people over 50 now the age group spending the most on travel,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I want to find out about the opportunities and pitfalls that,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17well, we all need to look out for if were booking a break.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And people here certainly seem to know where they're going.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24We've got Spain booked for Easter.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27We have a touring caravan and we're planning to visit Dorset.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We're going on a cruise to the Baltic.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Well, we like Spain, don't we? - Spain, yeah.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Motorhome, on the Continent.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36MUSIC: Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard
0:25:36 > 0:25:40They're also pretty confident about why they're going.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Seeing different culture, seeing different cities.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Eat what local people eat, and drink what they drink, and mix with them.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52So the world really is their oyster.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Life's too short. Keep getting your holidays.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58With being retired, we can go any time, anyplace, anywhere.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Doreen McKenzie from the Association of British Travel Agents knows what
0:26:05 > 0:26:08older travellers are after, and I'm meeting up with her on a boat that
0:26:08 > 0:26:12was once used to ferry passengers out to the Titanic.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Doreen, the holiday market for seniors has exploded over the past
0:26:17 > 0:26:20few years. Why do you think that is?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Well, I think it's probably we're all living longer and people are not
0:26:23 > 0:26:26saving their money in banks any more, they're spending it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28So they just decide to travel.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31By and large, what sort of trips are people in the more mature market
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- looking for?- Oh, they're getting more adventurous!
0:26:34 > 0:26:39The over-50s market, shall we call it, is actually now looking at soft adventure.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41What is soft adventure?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Soft adventure would be more cultural type of holidays -
0:26:44 > 0:26:47say a walk in the Camino in Spain, or going to learn how to cook in
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Portugal, or wine-tasting in France.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Are there any particular issues that the more mature traveller needs to
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- think about?- I think the most important thing they have to
0:26:57 > 0:26:59consider when they're travelling is insurance.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02We have sold flights to people to Australia, and their insurance has
0:27:02 > 0:27:05been more expensive than their flights.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08These extra measures differ from company to company,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12but most of them are implemented around the age of 70 and begin to
0:27:12 > 0:27:16rise after that. It's important to let the insurance companies know of
0:27:16 > 0:27:19any pre-existing medical conditions,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21as well, otherwise you won't be covered.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Things like this mean the older traveller has to be a savvy traveller.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The over-50s are now the silver surfers on the web,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31there's no doubt about that. When they come into us to make a booking,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33they actually have a lot of their knowledge in front of them.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35They know why they're travelling.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38They're coming in because they're wanting to go to a country to see
0:27:38 > 0:27:41the culture or it's on their bucket list, they want to visit.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50And one of the most popular ways to do the bucket list is by sea.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We like cruising. We try to do one if not two per year.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- We've done a cruise now, haven't we? - We've done a cruise. Yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- He would like to go back. - During the last ten years,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02the greatest growth that we've seen has been in cruising.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Ten years ago, it was 10% of our business,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and it's now up to about 40%.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12In fact, 14% of all UK holiday-makers are planning to go on
0:28:12 > 0:28:15a cruise in the next 12 months.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18So what's so good about a trip on the ocean waves?
0:28:18 > 0:28:23Well, 91-year-old John Mason first got the taste for cruising in 1973
0:28:23 > 0:28:24with his wife Pat.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We went virtually everywhere.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Around Europe, usually in the
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Mediterranean, up to as far as Egypt once.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37To San Francisco, then all down the west coast of South America.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39I went on a cruise once.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- I can't say it was my favourite travel experience. - LAUGHTER
0:28:41 > 0:28:44I'm wondering if you can help persuade me of the benefits.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46What's so great about going on a cruise?
0:28:46 > 0:28:47I can't explain, really,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51what pleasure it gives me to sit on a boat, just looking at the sea
0:28:51 > 0:28:55and thinking, "Oh, it's time for a drink," or "It's time for a meal."
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- It's about relaxing...- Oh, relaxing...- ..and the world comes to
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- your doorstep, doesn't it?- Everything, yeah.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Sadly, John's wife, Pat, passed away in 2006,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08but last year he went on a cruise with this lady.
0:29:08 > 0:29:14It all began one lunchtime when he paid a visit to his local pub.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I walked in there and there wasn't a spare seat in the place!
0:29:17 > 0:29:20And I was really looking for food, you know?
0:29:20 > 0:29:23So I turned round to go out, and I turned round and there was,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27as I know now, Vera, sitting at a table for two.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30So I said, "Would you mind if I sat and had lunch with you?"
0:29:30 > 0:29:32"No, no, no," she said, "come and sit down."
0:29:32 > 0:29:37- And in that half an hour, I talked her into coming on a cruise with me! - LAUGHTER
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- A woman you'd never met before? - Never met before. No, no.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- And then...- She was very talkative, very, very nice, yeah.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46And she agreed on the spot?
0:29:46 > 0:29:49"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said. She kept saying this!
0:29:49 > 0:29:51I said, "Well, you are, because I'm going to pay for it,"
0:29:51 > 0:29:54so I booked it and that was it.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- You're a charmer, aren't you, John?- Hmm... - LAUGHTER
0:29:59 > 0:30:02John's obviously had a great time on the ocean wave over the years, and
0:30:02 > 0:30:04he makes a good case for cruises, doesn't he?
0:30:04 > 0:30:08So maybe, just maybe, I should give them another go.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13But there is one kind of holiday I really don't think I could face again.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17I think you see more of the country and the people in the towns and
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- villages.- Just finding a nice, quiet
0:30:20 > 0:30:25site somewhere to relax and hopefully enjoy some nice weather.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's certainly expanding, certainly over the last two or three years,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30more and more people are caravanning.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I mentioned earlier that I'm not the
0:30:35 > 0:30:37world's greatest fan of cruise ships,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and actually the same goes for caravans and even motorhomes.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Some of my worst childhood moments were spent in what was a mobile tin
0:30:44 > 0:30:48with a chemical loo that had to be emptied every day.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51And I haven't forgotten!
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And that's exactly why the producers of Holding Back The Years have sent
0:30:54 > 0:30:58me here - The Fairacres Camping And Caravan Park on the shores of Lough
0:30:58 > 0:31:03Neagh in County Armagh, where I'm meeting Morna and Chris Wells.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- Knock, knock.- Come in!- Hello, hello.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- Hello, Bill.- Welcome to our home on wheels!
0:31:08 > 0:31:11We go out every weekend, nearly.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Last year, we were in Portugal and Spain.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- The year before that, Finland. - Finland.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18And then, before that, it was Poland.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20This year we're going to Germany.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22And you're king and queen of the road, I suppose.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26- Yeah.- I used to go on caravanning holidays when I was a kid.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30We used to have the chemical loos and the cooking smell with plenty of
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- gas.- But that can be a sense of adventure.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- Is that what it was?- Yeah! - LAUGHTER
0:31:34 > 0:31:37You look at the memories that you have from that time.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- Yeah, I'm looking! - LAUGHTER
0:31:39 > 0:31:44- Now, come on, there may be good memories, there must be some good times in there that you had.- Um...
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Well, certainly memories of being
0:31:46 > 0:31:50cramped in a small space with my family are definitely flooding back.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- Only two people can sleep on here? - No, no. No, we have...- We have a bed above your head.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59- Up here?- Yes.- Yes.- How's it work? Does it come down easily?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02- This just comes down.- Yeah?
0:32:02 > 0:32:04- That's it, Chris. Whoa, whoa!- Oh, sorry, Morna.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07You're going to crush Morna, you see?
0:32:07 > 0:32:10- Morna...- Hello. - Just pop that back quickly, Chris. - LAUGHTER
0:32:10 > 0:32:13If you've got four people in here...
0:32:13 > 0:32:17- Yes.- ..there's nowhere to move. - There is, of course there is!
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- All right.- Yeah.- Well, you have to take it in stages, you know!
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I mean, you... LAUGHTER
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Chris and Morna are incredibly proud of what is essentially a house in
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- miniature. - Welcome to our en-suite.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- OK.- Right, this is it. And of course your full-length
0:32:32 > 0:32:36- mirror, to see how you look in the morning.- Oh, naturally. For when you put your ball gown on.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- Right.- All right.- And we have a shower inside here, to your right.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42We have our toilet and then we have our wardrobe as well, for our
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- clothes.- It's very impressive, I have to say.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49OK. Well, have we convinced you, Bill? What do you think?
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Well, childhood memories apart, when the Turnbulls go on holiday,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56there's up to eight of us, and I just don't think we're all going to
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- squeeze in. - But you can get the right type of... - LAUGHTER
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- You can get a larger one.- Yes. I can't afford it! - LAUGHTER
0:33:04 > 0:33:09Well, as the saying goes, if you can't beat them...
0:33:11 > 0:33:14So when you're up here, quite high up,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16does it make you feel grand, king of the road?
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Yes, it does. Here you're sitting above the hedges and you can see
0:33:19 > 0:33:22everything all around.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Well, you can't say I didn't give it a go.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28It's nearly time to take my leave,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32but I have a little surprise for John, who I met earlier.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36'Hello, John. I'm sorry I can't be with you today.'
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I'm looking forward to seeing you when we next meet in April and go on
0:33:40 > 0:33:43our next cruise to wherever.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46'Not sure quite where we're going, but I'm gathering a few bits and
0:33:46 > 0:33:49pieces together in case we go somewhere hot!
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'Take care of yourself. Bye for now, and bye-bye, Bill.'
0:33:52 > 0:33:56- Oh, well, that's nice.- Vera doesn't know exactly where you're going.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- Not currently.- I hope you do.- Yes, yes. Italy and Croatia.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05- Have a lovely trip.- We will. We certainly will.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09And do you know what? I hope they do. Bon voyage.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Time now to get back to my investigation of the good,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17the bad and the ugly side of social care.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21One of the country's head honchos had agreed to a one-on-one showdown
0:34:21 > 0:34:25with me. I decided, however, to bring some backup.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29So far in my journey through the British social care system for older
0:34:29 > 0:34:32people, I've discovered its many different sides.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34The undoubted good...
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Four of our residents went to a concert, and one of them actually
0:34:38 > 0:34:41saying, "This is the best thing I've ever done."
0:34:41 > 0:34:43And it's those sorts of things that will touch their lives,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45that will enhance their lives.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50- ..the bad...- They arrested the abusers, but everything we did
0:34:50 > 0:34:53wasn't enough because the company put the abusers in
0:34:53 > 0:34:56other homes, even though we had no jobs.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59..and the very, very ugly...
0:34:59 > 0:35:02I photocopied all Mum's medical records,
0:35:02 > 0:35:07since she'd been in there, that said, "No meds, no meds."
0:35:07 > 0:35:10And I just couldn't believe it.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14..all of which have left me with many questions to ask.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16This has always puzzled me. I really want to know why the
0:35:16 > 0:35:21experience of care is so very different depending on where you
0:35:21 > 0:35:23live, how much money you've got,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26who's dealing with the care, who owns the care home.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30There are so many questions and I want to find the answers.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37And I know exactly who to go to.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Andrea Sutcliffe is the chief inspector for adult social care in
0:35:41 > 0:35:46England, and at the very top of the Care Quality Commission.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49It's time, I feel, for a high noon showdown.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Now then, the Care Quality Commission, or CQC as it's
0:35:55 > 0:35:58otherwise known, what exactly is it?
0:35:58 > 0:36:02The Care Quality Commission is the quality regulator for health and
0:36:02 > 0:36:04care services across England.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09So what that means is that we are here to make sure that services
0:36:09 > 0:36:10provide care which is safe,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13effective, compassionate and high-quality,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16and we encourage services to improve.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22There are equivalent bodies who inspect and set standards for the
0:36:22 > 0:36:26social care sector for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29The CQC rate their care homes on five main categories...
0:36:38 > 0:36:42..which they judge when making unannounced visit to care homes.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44How can you do that in one visit?
0:36:44 > 0:36:48So our visits will typically be at least a day, maybe more,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51depending on the size of the service and how many people are there,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53what the issues are that we find.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55But it's not just the inspection.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It's actually talking to the people about their experience.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02So, in view of the CQC's willingness to listen,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04I've brought along a few messages.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05This is Kevin Hewlett,
0:37:05 > 0:37:11who runs an outstanding home in Kent, and this is his question.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15It would be really good if the inspectors, when they come into care
0:37:15 > 0:37:17homes, would give advice and guidance,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19if they would share good practice
0:37:19 > 0:37:22with care home managers and their staff.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25They're the people at the front line that go round, they see good
0:37:25 > 0:37:28practice, they see outstanding homes, they're rating them.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32So, to share the good practice with all of us can only be a good thing.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35So, what do you think of that? Kevin would like more interaction
0:37:35 > 0:37:39- between you, more accessibility to you, actually.- To be fair, Kevin's
0:37:39 > 0:37:41running an outstanding care home,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44so I'd much rather that people were looking at what he's doing and
0:37:44 > 0:37:47finding out what he's doing and how he's improving.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Sharing what he does would be beneficial to so many people,
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- wouldn't it?- Indeed, and one of the things we do in the reports that we
0:37:54 > 0:37:58write about outstanding services is to be really clear about what it is
0:37:58 > 0:38:01that makes them outstanding, and I
0:38:01 > 0:38:05know that lots of other care providers have looked at
0:38:05 > 0:38:08our reports, have gone and visited those services to really find out
0:38:08 > 0:38:12for themselves what makes those places tick.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16So, while there doesn't appear to be a forum where care home
0:38:16 > 0:38:19professionals and inspectors can share their findings and
0:38:19 > 0:38:24experiences, the reports do specify what makes a home outstanding.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Which may be of help,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29as recent data released by the CQC finds that more than half of care
0:38:29 > 0:38:32homes in some parts of England are
0:38:32 > 0:38:36rated as inadequate or requiring improvement.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40And in many cases it's whistle-blowers in those very
0:38:40 > 0:38:44institutions that come forward to complain.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47And yet whistle-blowers are still demonised.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50They're seen as troublemakers rather than someone who passionately cares,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53otherwise you wouldn't be a social care worker in the first place.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56So, one of the things that we're saying to people who're running
0:38:56 > 0:39:01services is that your staff are your greatest asset.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04You really need to care for them, nurture them, support them,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07and respond well when they are
0:39:07 > 0:39:10identifying to you that there are problems.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13One such whistle-blower was Eileen Chubb.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15She lost her job when she made a complaint.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I would ask if they understand how
0:39:19 > 0:39:23'important it is to protect whistle-blowers' identities, and how
0:39:23 > 0:39:26'committed they are to it, and do they understand'
0:39:26 > 0:39:29what happens to people who speak out if their employer
0:39:29 > 0:39:31finds out about it.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Do you think whistle-blowers need to be protected?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Do you listen to them when they have things to say?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41We do listen to whistle-blowers, people who have shared their
0:39:41 > 0:39:44experiences when they're working in services,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47and they can share that information with us confidentially.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Clearly, if...
0:39:49 > 0:39:52you know, sometimes, if somebody's been raising those concerns over a
0:39:52 > 0:39:55period of time and then we pitch up and look at exactly the same thing,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57it may not take, you know,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00too much for the people to work out where we might have got our
0:40:00 > 0:40:01information from,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06but our inspectors are acutely aware of the importance of keeping the
0:40:06 > 0:40:09names of people who share that information with us confidential.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Employees who witness abuse,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14who feel they cannot talk to their management teams,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17can raise their concerns with their regional inspectorate,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20which includes the CQC for England.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24But sometimes, for the families, listening is not enough.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Like Maggie, whose mother, Rose, was in a care home.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Why do you not speak to the relatives?
0:40:31 > 0:40:35'Talk to us, let us help you. Not just for the bad things,'
0:40:35 > 0:40:39but also the good. We could be working as a team together.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Similar sort of thing, in that
0:40:42 > 0:40:46users, care users, would like to have more actual access to you.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51We do talk to relatives and we want to talk to relatives because we know
0:40:51 > 0:40:55that they give us great insight into what's happening.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58But that's only if you go in and inspect, isn't it,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00that they have that direct access to you, the relatives?
0:41:00 > 0:41:03But relatives can also share their experience with us.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06We have the ability, a facility on our website,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10for people to do that, and we have a call centre where people can call us
0:41:10 > 0:41:12- as well.- So, the face-to-face
0:41:12 > 0:41:15opportunities with the CQC for families really are few
0:41:15 > 0:41:20and far between. But families can leave comments on the website or
0:41:20 > 0:41:23talk to a real person at their call centre.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27And whilst our interviewees may have found answers to their questions,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I've one burning issue which I've
0:41:30 > 0:41:32wanted to know from the very start of this journey...
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Why is there still so much discrepancy between outstanding care
0:41:40 > 0:41:42and really ugly, bad care?
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Awful lot of this comes down to people using the resources,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49the money that they've got, sensibly.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Are they recruiting the right staff?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Are they training those staff so that they know what they should be
0:41:54 > 0:41:57doing? And most importantly,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00are they focusing on the people who are using the service?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04And it's when people lose sight of the people that they are supposed to
0:42:04 > 0:42:07be looking after that it goes wrong.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10And that's the thing that we have to guard against.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14It always has to be about the people who are using the service.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17So the signs today are encouraging.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21They're certainly going into homes and they say they're not warning
0:42:21 > 0:42:25homes before going in there. So it's encouraging and we'd all better
0:42:25 > 0:42:29start asking questions about care, because we all want to live long,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31happy lives, and to do that,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33ageing is compulsory!
0:42:33 > 0:42:36So we all need to start caring about old age care, because we're all
0:42:36 > 0:42:38going to be there one day.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44And quickly, the answer to our "What was the year that was?" archive quiz for today. Fiona?
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Quickly, 1984 - the year that Torvill and Dean struck Gold in the
0:42:48 > 0:42:49Winter Olympics.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Indeed. We're putting things on ice for the weekend,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- but we'll see you again next week. Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58MUSIC: Bolero by Maurice Ravel