Care Home Complaints

Occasionally your relative has something they cannot cope with any longer. For instance, it may be loud music from somebody's television. Ask one of the nurses if they could persuade the resident to turn down the volume to a more acceptable level. If there is no change you or your relative might like to make an official complaint. Start by speaking to the nurse in charge or the matron. If nothing is done speak to your relative's care manager if they have one, or to the manager or proprietor.

If nothing is done about the complaint write a letter to the manager or proprietor telling them no action has been taken. Suggest that they might like to visit the room and hear the noise for themselves.

Should your letter be ignored send a reminder. If you do not get a satisfactory solution to the problem write to the inspector of the home who will investigate the problem.

To make a complaint about a care home take the following course of action:

1. Make your complaint to the nurse in charge.

2. If no change complain to the matron.

3. Still no change: speak to the Care Manager.

4. No response: speak to the manager or proprietor.

5. Complaint ignored: put it in writing to the manager or proprietor.

6. Complaint still ignored: send a reminder to the proprietor.

7. Still no response: write to the Nursing Home Inspector.

8. The Inspector will:

• Investigate the complaint.
• Discuss it with the matron.
• Discuss it with the proprietor.
• Problem solved.