Winterbourne View & the Question of how we care for Society's most Vulnerable Adults

I watched this shocking programme through my hands in some parts & switched off in tears when it got to the most disturbing part - a vulnerable young woman left shivering outside on the ground after being repeatedly doused in cold water by her so-called carers.

Chrissy is in a privately-run hospital like the one investigated last night. She has also lived in residential care homes. I’ve had fears, but never real suspicions, about physical abuse. However, some would argue that physical abuse includes being needlessly chemically coshed, which has happened to Chrissy. (A safeguarding meeting was held to deal with it.) Because Chrissy frequently self-harms, injuries from abuse could be easily masked - and she wouldn't have the language to report it.

The crux of the problem, which wasn’t the programme’s main focus, is the lack of effective support & treatment for complex & challenging learning disabled adults. They are there because they're exceptionally difficult to manage. As in Chrissy's case, several care home placements may have broken down, yet carers are often inexperienced & poorly supported with only the most rudimentary training. These privately run hospitals & residential homes are there to make money. The expertise that they are being paid huge sums like £3,500 a week for is insufficient & spread far too thinly across too many patients.

We need more long-stay places with a therapeutic environment for patients like these - but we must get it right. Too many council-run assessment & treatment units have been closed down, leaving an over-reliance on privately-run hospitals like the one on Panorama. In the meantime, from immediate effect, there must be unannounced spot-checks. It is far too easy to present a false picture to families and external care managers. The programme made harrowing watching but, as well as exposing evil, it raises important questions about how we care for our most vulnerable adults.

The sensory overload of a hospital appointment

Chrissy appears to have no concept of time but she somehow senses if she hasn't been home for over a week. Last weekend I was away so didn't bring her home as usual. When I phoned the hospital to finalise details of today's appointment with Chrissy's neurologist, a nurse told me that on Saturday, she had donned her hat, coat & gloves & demanded to come home. When her request hadn't been granted she'd become very distressed. So, feeling guilty, I decided to bring her home today after the neurology appointment, instead.

The appointment itself went smoothly. Chrissy veered off into a shop inside the hospital for a diet coke & briefly interrogated a tiny child she was curious about but we didn't have to wait for long to be seen. The neurologist was well-informed & thorough, & I was happy with the meds change she advised. The two nurses that came with us brought the car as close as they could to the entrance so Chrissy didn't have to walk very far with the wind blowing her face - something that makes her react as if she's under attack. She moaned a bit & full-on sobbed at one point but all in all she coped very well.

The reaction came later back at home!

As usual I'd organised everything beforehand so that I could give Chrissy my full attention - I'd even pre-cooked tonight's dinner. Unfortunately, Chrissy wanted her sister's computer even though she now has her own laptop. After screaming & throwing herself & other objects around for 10 minutes she eventually calmed down & played on her laptop at the kitchen table. Another outburst kicked off when her lunch came - meal times & food are often triggers. Eventually, when I added an egg & tomato sauce to her tuna sandwiches, she settled down. Simple solutions but rarely obvious ones....