The reality of consumerism in nursing homes is addressed by Linda Nazarko. She argues that there is an urgent need to develop models that enable older people to retain power

The NHS and Community Care Act caused profound changes within nursing homes and, although the stated aim was to improve consumer choice, the real agenda was somewhat more complex. Consumerism in longterm care is a smokescreen, which detracts from important issues such as resourcing, means testing and the dynamics of professional power structures.