Family ‘not told’ relative had died at care home
REPORT SLAMS HOW WOMAN’S DEATH IN WHEELCHAIR WAS HANDLED
A WOMAN died in a wheelchair at a care home without her family knowing, a scathing watchdog report reveals.
Her daughter and relatives were unable to say their final goodbyes as staff didn’t call them in time.
The woman was moved downstairs shortly before her death, meaning she passed away in a wheelchair rather than her bed.
The tragic circumstances of her death have been revealed in a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO).
An investigation was launched after the woman’s family raised concerns about how she was cared for at the end of her life at Oakwood Care Centre in Stalybridge.
The home, which looks after people over the age of 65, is now under new management.
The woman’s loved ones said no one at the home told them about her rapid deterioration in the hours leading up to her death – or sought medical advice until a few hours before she died, the LGO said.
The woman’s family found out about her death from the police, the report added.
The LGO also found other failings in the way the woman was cared for prior to her death in 2016, including vital records going missing.
Tameside council, which placed the woman in the home, has also been criticised for the way it dealt with concerns about the care provided – and its initial investigation.
LGO spokesman Michael King said: “This report highlights to care homes the importance of having well thought out procedures for communicating with families about very ill relatives, and the need to seek timely medical advice, regardless of whether instructions are in place not to resuscitate.
“I would also like to remind care providers of the crucial need to maintain proper, detailed and legible records of their care for residents throughout their stay.
“Despite the problems we found with both the council and care provider, I am pleased with the mature way they have responded to our investigation, and the recommendations we have made.”
The town hall has agreed to pay the woman’s daughter £1,000 in recognition of the distress she and her family suffered after being unable to say goodbye to the woman.
The council will pay a further £300 for the additional distress caused by the poor response to the family’s initial complaint, and £200 for failing to maintain full records of the events, which has prevented the family from receiving a full response to its complaints.
Town hall bosses say they have introduced a number of changes as a result of the case.
Care homes are now required to agree with residents’ families the level of notification they would like about changes in their condition. A Tameside council spokesman said: “We have taken the ombudsman’s investigation and report extremely seriously and have quickly implemented the recommendations made to ensure any complaints are dealt with appropriately and that the services we commission at care homes are of the quality our residents deserve. “These include introducing a revised safeguarding adults policy, providing updated training to relevant staff and ensuring that they have a clear understanding of how to handle safeguarding concerns.
“We appreciate the ombudsman’s approval of our response to the report and would like to reassure residents that what has been learnt from the recommendations will be widely shared.
“We have been working closely with the care home’s new manager, providing significant support through our quality improvement team and we are regularly monitoring their progress at our strategic commissioning board.”
Oakwood is understood to have also implemented a number of changes under new management, including new care plans which clearly indicate whether resuscitation should be attempted.
Bosses are also reviewing processes for notifying families of changes in the health of relatives.
The M.E.N. has made numerous attempts to contact Oakwood Care Centre for comment. Tameside council spokesman