United Kingdon: Helen Hayes, the MP of the Labour Party for Dulwich and West Norwood, emphasized one of the common issues in Parliament: “homophobic abuse in adult social care”.
She also shared the experience of her constituents, Ted Brown and his partner of 49 years, Noel Glynn. She said, “Noel was placed in a care home in Croydon after developing dementia at an older age. He then suffered abhorrent homophobic abuse from staff, who refused to recognize Ted as his civil partner.”
“The abuse that happened with Noel and the abuse documented by Compassion in Care is utterly abhorrent, and there should be no place for it anywhere. Still, in settings are trusted to look after our most vulnerable loved ones, older people who are physically frail or suffering the disorientation of dementia,” Helen Hayes said while added that such abuse can also be re-traumatized for the current generation of older LGBTQ-plus people.
Furthermore, she said, “Those age 75 and older were adults before homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967. They live through the longest years of Section 28, have experienced lives in a deeply homophobic society, are very likely to have spent a significant period concealing their sexuality and have lived the trauma of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, suffering the loss of much-loved partners and friends and community members, while society stigmatized them.”
“Older people who are LGBTQ+ are also disproportionately likely to have become estranged from family members and can lack people around them to advocate on their behalf in the care system. ”
In her speech, Helen said, she is more concerned because of the poor response to Noel’s case. Once the horrific abuse he suffered was identified, it should have been the job of the care home, the local authority, the CQC and the government to make sure that this could never happen again.
But the reality was far from this. When Noel’s abuse was reported, staff were suspended, but Ted understands they were allowed to return to work at the same home on a different floor. The CQC continued to rate Albany Lodge as good following inspections in 2019 and again this year.
“No one should have to fear that their sexuality or gender identity might result in such abuse if they need social care, but this is the reality many LGBTQ+ people continue to face,” said Helen.
Moreover, she urged the UK and CQC governments to take action to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected in care and that care providers are held accountable when abuse occurs.