BBC1 CARE

My review of the BBC1 Drama, Care.

Jimmy McGovern has always been my favourite writer except when he writes with others. The acting in this drama was surpurb especially Alison Steadman whose portrayal of Mary should win every award for this heartrendering perforformance and as always Sheriden Smith delivers a brilliant performance as Jenny. The Drama tried to tackle important issues and should be applauded for this.

The scene where Marys daughters are appealing the funding decision and Mary is wheeled into the room by staff who consider this is respecting her rights, as Mary becomes increasenly distressed we witness a level of instutional deafness by the professionals in the room that would equal if not surpass some of the worst care homes.

I thought the drama exceled in tackling the rampant discrimination against older people in a system that views them as bed blockers and a drain on the very system these people contributed to all their lives.

There were however flaws in the script that I must highlight, the care worker in the first care home ( The substandard one ) We are not told if the home was meeting the CQC standards inspite of the staffing shortages.

I did wonder why the care worker who welcomed Mary to the first home during the day shift appeared to be working the subsequent night shift.

The biggest flaw was the presumption that money was the answer to everything, when only two weeks ago the Guardian front page story by Simon Murphy confirmed the reality we have long been aware of, that homes making massive profits are not always providing even basic care.

There are great staff working in the shabbest and poorly rated homes and there are also some very negligent and abusive staff working in the very pluushest and excellent rated homes and everything in between. I have been in two homes on the same Street, both rated good, One was brilliant and the other was dreadful, the cheapest one was the brilliant home. CQC ratings do not reflect the reality, money is not the sole answer it helps but we need to address the real issues. So the biggest flaw for me was the scene where the care worker comes to visit Jenny and apologise for losing her mum, it ran like a piece of propaganda for the care industry.and perpetuated the myth that giving the private companys that make up the care industry more money will solve all poor care when that is so untrue.

Eileen Chubb Copyright Dec 2018