Care overhaul needed after ‘human rights loss’ during pandemic

Dr Simmonds from Aberystwyth University

Care systems need an overhaul following the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human rights of older and disabled people, according to academics.

In a new research collection, ‘Intersections of ageing and disability during the COVID-19 pandemic’, Dr Bethany Simmonds from Aberystwyth University points to the loss of human rights of older and disabled people, particularly in care settings.

In her work, she says life and death decisions often based on age, led to ‘exceptional’ and controversial practices which included inappropriately applied ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders, unsafe hospital discharges, and denying access to treatment.

This rationing of older people’s care, particularly in the first wave of the pandemic, contravened human rights and equality legislation, according to the paper published in Frontiers in Sociology.

Dr Simmonds argues that this discrimination can be seen as a product of UK neo-liberalisation and austerity measures.

The expert in the sociology of ageing, health and risk proposes an alternative feminist care approach: one that values women’s care work and takes account of inequalities of access to resources based on age, gender, ethnicity, and disability when making decisions about care.

Dr Simmonds from Aberystwyth University said:

“The clear breaches of older and disabled people’s human rights during the pandemic demonstrate that we need to radically reimagine how we make decisions about care. Currently not enough consideration is given to how we ensure that people growing older with a disability, or are older and have an impairment, are cared for with dignity. It’s vital that government learns the lessons, designing future services that more effectively address systemic and overlapping discrimination.

“It is common to think about vulnerability as something which effects older people, women, or minority ethnic groups, and this is inevitable. However, people are made vulnerable because of government decision making. Vulnerability is something that anyone can experience at any point in their life. But the decisions that government make create risky and uncertain scenarios for some groups more than others.

“We need to shift away from the old models, where individual needs are exploited by shareholders and care is rationed, to relational, therapeutic, and reciprocal approaches, which integrate the care ethic characteristics of attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness within caring networks.”

As part of the collection, Dr Maria Berghs’ research draws attention to discrimination against minority ethnic groups and the fear of being ‘triaged’ due to the ableism, ageism and racism experienced by people with sickle cell, who were identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the pandemic.

In her article, Dr Jami McFarland and colleagues from Canada emphasise the positive impact of online technology on improving access to the arts for older adults with disabilities.

A paper by Dr Ronny König and Dr Alexander Seifert from the University of Zurich found that COVID-19 didn’t have any significant impact on digital uptake among older people in Switzerland, suggesting a need to a focus on including and making accessible technology with older people.

Amani Alnamnakani’s article gives an in-depth account of a disabled, older Muslim woman’s experience of discrimination during the pandemic. It illustrates the indirect impact that COVID-restrictions had on experiences of disablism, racism and sexism on public transport.

The research collection points to the need to consider alternative care models which address inequality and lead to the creation of a just and ethical care system.

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