Elderly care services 'failing' in England

A quarter of home-care services provided to the elderly in England are failing to meet quality and safety standards, inspectors say.

More than 700,000 people above the age of 65 rely on home help for activities such as washing, dressing and eating.

But the Care Quality Commission found evidence of rushed appointments and botched assessments during its review of 250 services.

A spokesman for the Commission, Alan Rosenbach, told the BBC that while ongoing monitoring would help to raise standards, the responsibility for maintaining good levels of service lay with providers.