02/11/2025
🕊️ I’ve been thinking long and hard about sharing this… 🕊️
Ever since watching the BBC documentary where an undercover cleaner went in to expose what happens behind closed doors, I’ve not stopped thinking about it. It broke my heart, but if they’d sent an undercover carer, it would have been ten times worse.
I’ve worked in care homes. I’ve witnessed things that will stay with me forever, and not for the right reasons. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the truly heartbreaking. And I’ve also seen what happens when you speak up.
I was bullied out of a job for standing up for what was right. I refused to stay silent. I contacted the Care Inspectorate and made my report – it’s still there for anyone to read. But nothing changes if we all stay quiet.
I’ve seen so-called “unannounced” inspections where homes were tipped off days before. Suddenly menus appeared, noticeboards were fixed, tables and chairs were rearranged, and managers pulled night shifts to make the place look presentable. Then, once the inspectors left, things went right back to how they were.
I’ve seen staff bully residents, people who can’t always speak up for themselves. I’ve watched kind carers try to report it, only to be ignored or pushed out. Many homes have their own little cliques. Keep quiet and you’ll be fine. But the minute you speak out, you’re branded as the problem.
I’ll never forget a lady who was limited to seven ci******es a day. She’d ask me to take her out for one, and because I smoked at the time, I’d have happily done it. But I was told absolutely not!
“Because then she’ll expect everyone else to do the same.”
Excuse me – this is her home! Her comfort, her choices, her life.
💚 This post isn’t to attack carers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
There are so many incredible carers out there, people who pour their hearts into the job, who treat residents like family, who go home worrying about them, and who still come back smiling the next morning.
Those are the carers who make the world of difference, the ones who deserve to be celebrated. 🌸
But sadly, it only takes a few who don’t care to give the whole profession a bad name.
Why are residents hurried to bed just to make the night shift’s life easier?
Why are nightshift staff pressured to have everyone washed and dressed before day shift arrives?
When did this stop being about the person and start being about the rota?
Something needs to change.
And one day, I will have my own care home – one that feels more like a holiday resort, full of life, laughter, animals, and community. A place where residents are treated like family, not tasks on a list.
What frustrates me most is seeing people I know, bullies and bystanders, win awards and public praise while the genuine, selfless carers quietly get on with doing incredible work that goes unseen.
That’s why I had to speak up. Because carers who truly care deserve the recognition.
The BBC documentary was horrific, but I’m so grateful they went undercover. Maybe now, more eyes will open. Because our loved ones deserve more than “good enough.” They deserve joy, dignity, and compassion every single day.
Of course, there are beautiful examples of care being done right. There’s one home I’ll always praise, where staff take residents on caravan holidays, make memories, and bring real happiness. That’s what care should be about! 🏖️💖
So to every carer who gives their all, who stays late, who listens, who laughs, who cries, who fights for their residents – thank you.
You are the heart of this industry.
You are the reason families can sleep at night.
You are the reason I still believe care can be beautiful again.
Let’s bring the meaning of care back to what it used to be: real people, real love, and real time for those who need it most.
With love,
Lauren 💚 (Private Carer)
LT Caring Services – “Care that feels like family”
📞 07503 086966
📧 lauren@ltcaringservices.com
📍 Covering Aberdeenshire
