Two workers sacked from care home after woman left injured

[dutchman]

Two workers have been sacked from a Coventry care home after a 91-year-old woman was left lying injured on her bedroom floor for hours.



Esther Hutton broke her left wrist and suffered a nasty head injury after a fall during the night at Victoria Park Care Home in Brays Lane, Stoke.

She was eventually found lying on the floor the next morning.

Her family said she was discovered in a pool of blood.

An investigation by the home concluded that two carers had not carried out regular checks on her.

Records were also found to have been falsified to make it look like correct procedures had been followed.

Two members of staff were subsequently dismissed for ‘‘failing to meet expected standards of care’’.

Esther should have been checked at least every two hours while she was in her ground floor bedroom at the home.

Esther, who suffers from dementia, was eventually discovered when someone brought her breakfast to her ground floor bedroom the next morning.

An ambulance was called and she was taken to Coventry’s University Hospital.

The Telegraph has learned that the care home’s investigation concluded that a false record of events had been created and signed.

It claimed Esther had been checked every two hours.

Esther, who had lived at Victoria Park for 12 months before the incident in August, has since been moved to another care home.

Her family has spoken of their shock at what happened.

Daughter Barbara Rodwell, of Keresley, visited her mother in hospital soon after she was admitted.

She said: “I was completely shocked when I saw her.

“Her head was in a metal brace, she had a big black eye, there was a deep cut on her face, there was blood in her hair.

“If it were not for her inner strength, I’m not sure she would have pulled through. If left any longer she could have died.”

Esther’s son Ken Hutton said: “We feel completely let down.”

A spokesman for the Victoria Park home said: “We can confirm that two members of staff were recently dismissed, as they did not meet the standards which we, residents and their families rightly expect.

“The staff in question were dismissed after failing to follow the right procedures for the resident’s care and subsequently falsifying records following the resident falling during the night.

“The resident was subsequently admitted to hospital and was deemed medically fit to be discharged after ten days.

“As soon as this incident came to light we acted swiftly to investigate, working closely with the Care Quality Commission and the police.

“We take such incidents extremely seriously as nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and wellbeing of those we support.”

An accident and incident report completed by the home’s deputy manager as part of the investigation stated: “Esther didn’t know how she fell but she had been lying on the floor all night”.

It added that paramedics said the “extent of dry blood indicated she had the injury for some hours”.

A Coventry City Council spokesman said: “Victoria Park is a privately-run home that contracts with the city council.

“Since the incident the council has been working with the home to ensure it is taking appropriate action to improve the service provided.

"The council will continue to monitor the home to ensure improvements are made”.