‘My mum’s life ended in fear and misery at home’
AWOMAN whose mother died at a care home put into special measures by the health watchdog claims her life ended in ‘fear and misery.’
Edge Hill Rest Home in Royton is being investigated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) over serious concerns about the standard of care provided to pensioners, many of whom suffer from dementia.
It has been placed into special measures after being branded ‘inadequate.’ Police and council bosses are also investigating neglect allegations.
Our sister paper the M.E.N. was approached by Gillian Bridge, whose mother Merlyn Ousey died at the home, after it reported on the CQC report.
She has made a series of claims about her mother’s time at Edge Hill. Mrs Bridge said her mother ended her life at the home in ‘fear and misery,’ ‘looking like a skeleton,’ weighing just six stone.
She claims Mrs Ousey, who died of acute kidney failure, was often left sitting in a chair for long periods and once spent ‘many’ hours alone in her room alone without enough fluids.
Mrs Bridge kept a diary of what she says she saw at the home. She said she believes there is a ‘culture of bullying’ at Edge Hill.
Mrs Bridge said her mother was scared of management, and claimed some members of staff appeared to be afraid of bosses.
CQC bosses said there were ‘poor staffing levels’ when inspectors visited and that workers were often stretched.
The report read: “There were not always sufficient staff to provide prompt care and support to people who used the service.
“Lack of a timely staff response to people’s request for support and assistance at such times compromises their dignity.”
Mrs Bridge said her mother was regularly given sandwiches for dinner and often went 12 hours without food because of the time between meals.
She said her mother was often left sitting in the lounge for hours and had nothing to do. CQC bosses said there were not sufficient and meaningful activities for residents.
They said residents were not stimulated and many didn’t have the opportunity to socialise.
CQC inspectors said they saw one resident in the communal lounge call out five times for assistance to be taken to the toilet.
Another ‘repeatedly’ called out for their breakfast.
Mrs Bridge said she saw residents in a public area crying and pleading for food and water, with staff often too stretched to cope.
She said the member of staff who dealt with her mother when she died was not properly trained to do so, and that they didn’t appear to know the correct processes.
CQC bosses said they were concerned about ‘poor training.’
Mrs Bridge put her mother, who suffered from dementia, into the home in November 2015. She died aged 85 a year later.
Mrs Bridge said she often found her mother slumped in a chair, looking ‘miserable and grey’ and dehydrated.
Mrs Ousey, it is claimed, was often in bed for hours on end, and suffered from horrendous bed sores, which left her ‘crying and whimpering’ in pain in the last few weeks of her life.
CQC bosses raised concerns about the way residents were moved in bed and handled.
The report read: “On one occasion a person had to wait for forty minutes before there were staff available to assist them to change their position.”
Mrs Bridge has raised a number of safeguarding concerns with Oldham council. “It was pure neglect,” she said.
“I never had an issue with the staff, they were fantastic in difficult conditions.”
Oldham council bosses have been working with the home, the CQC, Pennine Care community nurses and the Public Health Infection Control service to make improvements at Edge Hill.
An action plan is in place, with officers visiting the home weekly.
The M.E.N. has made repeated attempts to speak to managers at the home – and has sent bosses details of Mrs Bridge’s claims. A manager refused to comment when contacted by our reporters.
A CQC spokeswoman said: “The CQC is aware of the concerns passed to us by a member of the public about Edge Hill Rest Home.”
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We have received a report of neglect and officers are investigating.”