Care Homes

Your comment got me thinking about why I dislike Unions so much. It’s not just the disingenuous populism of their leaders. It’s not just their betrayal of what they were set up to do. It’s not the fact that they seek to further the economic success of the already economically advantaged to the detriment of society in general and the poor and vulnerable in particular. No, it’s the fact that they, more than any other group, epitomise the culture of mediocrity that is so pervasive in so many parts of our state from our public services, to the Gardai, our health services, our semi-states, our education system and our local and national government.
They are the distilled personification of the lack of personal responsibility and accountability which is the root of incompetence and mediocrity.
The abuse within this Care Home is just another manifestation of that culture. Babies dying in hospitals, ambulances waiting for hours in A&E’s, children with special needs not getting the help they need, people dying outside the Dail. These are other examples.

But that doesn't just describe unionised workers. Tell me what senior banker, politician, civil servant has been held accountable. What company CEO who has made a mess not walked away with a multi million euro payout? Accountability starts at the top. Unions are not blameless but they are no worse than the people in positions of power whose only concern is high salaries and big pensions. Performance levels are a minor concern in comparison.
 
These are not medical people, they are nurses and care assistants.

Ah Pat, earlier today I spoke with two nurse managers (including one working in the UK) and both informed me that nurses are medical people. And for the record I also asked about Health Care Assistants and was informed they were medical staff also.

Furthermore, I went on some websites here of universities and large hospitals to see nurses being referred to as Medical Staff.

Now, Pat, I have no doubt you have further insight into what is or what isn't a member of medical staff.

. . . and whatever way you look at what happened in the County Mayo Care Home it makes all medical staff look bad. Let's not forget the main issue here.
 
No amount of theoretical training will provide decency and humanity.


I teach some (non medical) subjects at level 5 to care workers.

In my opinion, Some people are not suited to to the occupational career they choose. (Inappropriate behaviour, bullying tendencies, aggressive manner etc )

Marion
 
My opinion on the particular crisis is:

The immediate care team led by the particular nurse manager were always going to be on a downward spiral. Group think and behaviour were going to prevail. This is evidenced by the person who said that others who complained were no longer there. They had been removed. Group bullying prevailed. Their were some decent people who did their job well as evidenced on the video.

If the nurse manager displayed such disrespect for the client (by jumping on them (!) and also knowing that their individual care sheet stated that they feared males) how on earth would one expect the team members (nurses and care workers) who might be immature (despite their age); have low esteem; or just generally have nasty tendencies behave appropriately? What was equally appalling in this scene was the fact that the victim was requested to apologise to the nurse manager for his abusive behaviour. This was absolutely disgraceful.

Leadership comes from the top. However, a culture of obnoxious, denigrating and sadistic behaviour prevailed in this home that was top driven. Who was monitoring the nurse manager?

The clients in this home must have suffered many inhumanities over a nine-year period.

Shameful!

Hopefully, justice will prevail for these clients and their families who must be suffering also.


Marion
 
No amount of theoretical training will provide decency and humanity.
....
In my opinion, Some people are not suited to to the occupational career they choose. (Inappropriate behaviour, bullying tendencies, aggressive manner etc )
...
That's the nub of the issue Marion, a lack of simple human decency and respect, and a culture of bullying.

Sick behaviour is endemic in sick organisations.
 
Ah Pat, earlier today I spoke with two nurse managers (including one working in the UK) and both informed me that nurses are medical people. And for the record I also asked about Health Care Assistants and was informed they were medical staff also.

Furthermore, I went on some websites here of universities and large hospitals to see nurses being referred to as Medical Staff.

Now, Pat, I have no doubt you have further insight into what is or what isn't a member of medical staff...
Yes I have. Ask some of the people you spoke to apply for membership of a medical union, such as the Irish Medical Organisation and they'll discover they don't qualify for membership of a doctors' union or representative organisation because they are paramedics and not medically qualified. It really is that simple.
 
Yes I have. Ask some of the people you spoke to apply for membership of a medical union, such as the Irish Medical Organisation and they'll discover they don't qualify for membership of a doctors' union or representative organisation because they are paramedics and not medically qualified. It really is that simple.

We're splitting hairs here. The Irish Medical Organisation does not represent nurses like the Irish Farmers Association does not represent dockers. How is it, when an important thread such as what happened in that Care bungalow you will always get the nit-pickers moanin' about trivialities?

Another point, if teaching organisations come across people who are not suited to working with a FETAC Level 5, why do the dish out the qualification?
Perhaps the "teaching organisation" should be shouldering some of the blame too?
 
... The Irish Medical Organisation does not represent nurses like the Irish Farmers Association does not represent dockers. How is it, when an important thread such as what happened in that Care bungalow you will always get the nit-pickers moanin' about trivialities? ...
Got it in one The IMO represents medically qualified staff & student doctors, the INMO doesn't. I think the distinction between medical staff and paramedical staff is important.
 
... How is it, when an important thread such as what happened in that Care bungalow you will always get the nit-pickers moanin' about trivialities? ...
You may not agree with some opinions expressed here but that does not entitle you to breach posting guidelines by name-calling posters who don't share your opinions.
 
Their work is stressful - I wouldn't be able to do it -


Ahem stressful did you say??, from what I could see they were sitting around all day on their mobile phones while lashing out occasionally at those whose care they were entrusted with.

Despicable people :mad: they couldn't even be bothered to take those poor people to the toilet or out for a walk. They seemed to delight in taking away their chairs, cursing at them and being rough and threatening. It beggars belief, that it could happen in this day and age is just too intolerable to comprehend. We have an awful history of institutional abuse in this country. What will the international press think of this when it is picked up by them?? Is it ever going to end??
 
The immediate care team led by the particular nurse manager were always going to be on a downward spiral. Group think and behaviour were going to prevail. This is evidenced by the person who said that others who complained were no longer there. They had been removed. Group bullying prevailed.

Marion

Excellent summation, Marion!

In relation to the previous staff member, one of the care team said:

“You’d have been afraid of her. It was horrible, she reported everything, left, right and centre. To her own detriment, because she’s gone”.

To me, that said it all.
 
Under current legislation & whether you are in a Union or not due process has to be followed & the employees in question who behaved despicably cannot be summarily dismissed as such action would not only involve the State in costly compensation but would set a dangerous precedent which would undermine the entire industrial mechanisms of the State.

The alternative is of course to react in such a knee jerk fashion thus ensuring that these odious creatures benefit financially from their vile actions .

The point is that industrial legislation ensures that due process must be adhered to - it is irrelevant whether the people involved are in a Trade Union or not , indeed I seen nothing to date to clarify whether or not such people are Union members.

The INMO have decried the actions of some of the staff but equally they cannot call for their immediate dismissal as the laws of the land do not allow for that .

Remarkably & to their eternal credit the family of one of the patients who suffered so badly have shown tremendous charity by stating that due process must be followed & that mob rule should not play any role in this matter.

Ultimately this is further evidence of man's inhumanity to man & to suggest somehow that Unions have a case to answer here is tenuous in the extreme - they like the rest of us are bound by the laws of the State .
 
Under current legislation & whether you are in a Union or not due process has to be followed & the employees in question who behaved despicably cannot be summarily dismissed as such action would not only involve the State in costly compensation but would set a dangerous precedent which would undermine the entire industrial mechanisms of the State.

The alternative is of course to react in such a knee jerk fashion thus ensuring that these odious creatures benefit financially from their vile actions .

The point is that industrial legislation ensures that due process must be adhered to - it is irrelevant whether the people involved are in a Trade Union or not , indeed I seen nothing to date to clarify whether or not such people are Union members.

The INMO have decried the actions of some of the staff but equally they cannot call for their immediate dismissal as the laws of the land do not allow for that .

Remarkably & to their eternal credit the family of one of the patients who suffered so badly have shown tremendous charity by stating that due process must be followed & that mob rule should not play any role in this matter.

Ultimately this is further evidence of man's inhumanity to man & to suggest somehow that Unions have a case to answer here is tenuous in the extreme - they like the rest of us are bound by the laws of the State .

Sensible post and I agree with every word.
 
But that doesn't just describe unionised workers. Tell me what senior banker, politician, civil servant has been held accountable. What company CEO who has made a mess not walked away with a multi million euro payout? Accountability starts at the top. Unions are not blameless but they are no worse than the people in positions of power whose only concern is high salaries and big pensions. Performance levels are a minor concern in comparison.
Banking and the Civil servants are in the Unionised sector. The CEO's that can screw things up and walk away are usually CEO's of unionised companies and not non-unionised companies.
You talk about "the people in positions of power whose only concern is high salaries and big pensions", that perfectly describes the CEO's/leaders of the Unions. Their only function, only agenda, is to get as much money for the least amount of work, done to the lowest possible standards, with the least possible accountability. There is no possible way that such an agenda is not damaging to this country both socially and economically.
 
Banking and the Civil servants are in the Unionised sector. The CEO's that can screw things up and walk away are usually CEO's of unionised companies and not non-unionised companies.
You talk about "the people in positions of power whose only concern is high salaries and big pensions", that perfectly describes the CEO's/leaders of the Unions. Their only function, only agenda, is to get as much money for the least amount of work, done to the lowest possible standards, with the least possible accountability. There is no possible way that such an agenda is not damaging to this country both socially and economically.

Come on Purple. That's feeble and you know it. What CEO or any senior executive of a public company is a member of a trade Union? Do you think the CEO's of the Irish banks walked away with such large payments because the IBOA demanded it or something? Recent cases involving Tesco. Same thing. Executives walk away with large payouts and no accountability. Everything gets hidden behind 'contractual obligations'. By all means criticise trade unions but they are not to blame for everything and certainly not the abuse of vulnerable people in a care home. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.
 
Come on Purple. That's feeble and you know it. What CEO or any senior executive of a public company is a member of a trade Union? Do you think the CEO's of the Irish banks walked away with such large payments because the IBOA demanded it or something? Recent cases involving Tesco. Same thing. Executives walk away with large payouts and no accountability. Everything gets hidden behind 'contractual obligations'. By all means criticise trade unions but they are not to blame for everything and certainly not the abuse of vulnerable people in a care home. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

They are part of the culture of unaccountability that is pervasive in this country. They are not the only ones but like a priest at the pulpit they deem themselves of sufficiently high moral standing to tell everyone else how they should behave.
The behaviour of CEO's etc is unacceptable but they are not pontificating to the rest of us.
Both groups are vile, only one are hypocrites.
 
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