THE revelation that care workers are leaving sensitive information about elderly clients on public show is worrying – especially as one man’s attempts to warn those responsible fell on deaf ears until he brought it to the Examiner’s attention.
It shows a lack of thought by the careworkers concerned which potentially put their clients at risk from burglars.
In these times of endless red tape, big bureaucratic hurdles to jump over before anything is done and the burden of health and safety legislation, it’s hard to imagine how careworkers could have been so careless.
Our photograph of the car where the information was left on display shows a handbag also inside.
Thieves take just seconds to strike by smashing windows and grabbing valuables.
A passing thief may well have got the bag and the sensitive information and then targeted the homes of those he would soon know were vulnerable.
And, with all the door codes written down, he could have got straight in.
So well done to Chris Marsden for spotting the problem and highlighting it.
He may well have saved elderly people from enduring the misery of becoming crime victims.
He has challenged some of those responsible for leaving this information on show in the past – but his concerns were dismissed.
Now it has put into the public domain the private contractor responsible has pledged to take action.
Domus Healthcare managing director Andrea Jetten will now personally oversee the full investigation.
It’s a pity it’s taken so long for it to get it to this stage.
Let’s hope anyone who cares for our elderly and vulnerable will learn from all this.
They have been lucky this time. That may not be the case if this happens again in the future.
