Care home pensioners ‘lined up undressed for a wash’
WATCHDOG PUTS FACILITY IN SPECIAL MEASURES
A CARE home where pensioners are alleged to have been lined up in a ‘state of undress’ before being bathed and showered like they were on a ‘conveyor belt’ has been put into special measures.
A resident at Seymour Care Home is also reported to have been locked in a bedroom at night after a former member of staff tied the door shut with a dressing gown belt. The Clayton home, which cares mostly for people with dementia, has been slammed by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors and judged to be ‘inadequate.’
Manchester council has suspended admissions following the publication of a damning report – and the home could be closed if improvements are not made in the next six months.
An unannounced inspection was carried out after ‘information of serious concern’ was reported by two whistle-blowers.
The health watchdog said allegations of ‘physical, psychological and emotional abuse’ were made, relating to seven people living at the home.
CQC bosses said a member of staff was alleged to have carried out personal care in an ‘inappropriate and undignified way,’ lining up residents in a ‘state of undress’ before and after washing them. The report detailed allegations that a former member of staff tied a person’s bedroom door shut with a dressing gown belt attached to a bench.
The home’s manager told inspectors the incident was ‘considered to be a health and safety issue rather than a safeguarding matter’ – and that the carer was sacked in November 2016.
The CQC report added: “We viewed the registered manager’s investigatory notes which indicated this could have been perceived as abuse. Three staff statements we saw confirmed the staff member locked the person in their bedroom.”
The home’s manager failed to report information about the staff member’s conduct to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and the council’s safeguarding team, which is still investigating the matter. Other CQC concerns included: Sluice and laundry rooms being left unlocked; a lack of lift safety checks; staff not responding appropriately to residents’ needs; a lack of leadership and staff support.