No One Should Be Left Alone In A Room Full Of Care.
Kari Gerstheimer, CEO and Founder of Access Social Care, writing in The Carer (July/August 2026, Issue 85).
Writing in The Carer, Kari Gerstheimer argues that social care cannot be reduced to systems, paperwork and processes while losing sight of the person at the centre of every decision.
In "No One Should Be Left Alone In A Room Full Of Care", Kari explores how legal rights, equality and dignity only have meaning when they are experienced in practice. Too often, people who rely on social care — alongside unpaid carers — face assessments they don't fully understand, decisions they can't meaningfully challenge, and services that prioritise administration over genuine human connection.
Drawing on Access Social Care's experience, Kari argues that lawful care is about far more than compliance. Assessments must be genuinely person-centred, recognising how people communicate, what matters to them, and ensuring they can participate in decisions about their own lives. Recent developments in the law around deprivation of liberty reinforce that understanding someone's wishes and feelings is not optional — it is fundamental.
Cutting of Kari’s article in The Carer.
Kari also highlights the importance of cultural competence and inclusive practice. Good care requires professionals to understand the individual in front of them, not simply apply policies or processes. Equality, diversity and inclusion should shape every interaction, rather than becoming slogans that fail to improve people's everyday experiences.
Kari’s message is simple but powerful: completing paperwork, arranging services or meeting statutory duties is never the finish line. Until people feel heard, respected and supported, the work is not done.
Read Kari's full article in The Carer (Issue 85, July/August 2026): here
Kari Gerstheimer is CEO and Founder of Access Social Care (accesscharity.org.uk).