Video aims to address 'shocking' care for older people

A film documenting the poor standards and care practices in older people's acute hospital care in Wales and England is being launched this week.

'Dignity - A Tale of Two Wards,' was developed by a team from Cardiff University's Centre for the Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics and is aimed at healthcare professionals.

Fiona Phillips, a journalist and Alzheimer's campaigner, will be launching the DVD.

It is clear there is a gap between such aspirations and the reality and more must be done to help frontline staff who deliver hands on care and interact with older patients and their relatives, as they have the biggest impact on the patient's experience of being in hospital.

Our research illustrated that there are some excellent and shocking standards of hospital care for older people in acute NHS wards in Wales and England.

Dr Win Tadd led the research, he said they found wards that were "poorly designed, confusing and inaccessible", staff which were "demoralised" and patients who were "frequently being moved to meet shifting clinical priorities."