House of Lords says care homes aren't covered by Human Rights Act

Campaigners reacted with anger today to a ruling that residents of private care homes are not covered by human rights law.  The decision, which could affect up to 300,000 residents in the UK, came in the case of an 83-year-old Alzheimer's patient whose lawyers argued that her threatened eviction from a private home would violate her right to family life.  The House of Lords, by a 3-2 majority, rejected the argument the home was carrying out a public function by caring for people referred by a council, and was therefore bound by the Human Rights Act.  Kate Jopling, head of public affairs at Help the Aged, said today's decision was "a sickening blow to older people and their families".  "The vast majority of vulnerable older people receive their care from the private or voluntary sectors. Today they remain without protection from abuses of their most basic human rights," she said.

More:  The Guardian Unlimited, http://society.guardian.co.uk/longtermcare/story/0,,2107275,00.html