Home operator apologises over care of elderly dementia sufferer

A CARE home operator has apologised for “shortcomings” in the care of an elderly dementia sufferer whose family say was “left abandoned” at one home and let down by another.

Christina Bretton, from Wakefield, then 76, was “walking, talking and feeding herself” when she was admitted to The Denby home in Huddersfield in 2016.

Nine days later her family say she was carried out with her “head back and eyes half open” and taken to The Oakes home, where they say she was left slumped in a wheelchair.

After a fortnight as a resident in the homes, operated by Meridian Healthcare Ltd, she was rushed to hospital, after appearing virtually unconscious and unable to lift her head. There she was found to have sores on the bottom of her back and heel and severely dehydrated.

After three weeks in hospital she was taken to a care home, run by a different company, where she remained in a reduced state of consciousness and unable to speak to her family and staff until she died in January 2017.

Kathryn Bretton said her father Stan had been unable to continue looking after her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, and The Denby assured them they could provide excellent care, despite not having specialist dementia facilities.

After a few days they were stopped from going in, following the outbreak of an illness, and could only see her through a door.

“She was just left alone, left slumped in a chair with her head down,” Ms Bretton said. “To see her being carried out after just over a week in the home was incredibly upsetting.”

The family went down the official complaints route, but frustrated by the suggestion by Kirklees safeguarding officials that the grade four pressure sore could have been caused by Mrs Bretton rubbing her heel on the carpet during the 30-minute car ride between homes, turned to Hudgells Solicitors.

A five-figure damages settlement was later reached out of court, after Meridian admitted breaching its duty of care with regards to Mrs Bretton’s treatment.

Solicitor Michelle Tebbutt said it was a “clear example of how care home residents need dedicated, committed, stimulating and appropriate care”.

She added: Although nothing can turn back the clock, we were pleased to secure admissions that the standard of care provided was not good enough.”

A spokesman for HC-One, Meridian’s parent company, said: “As an organisation we pride ourselves on our record of investing in and improving care homes to ensure they provide the kindest care to the communities we serve. In the case of Christina Bretton, we did not deliver the high level of service that we normally strive for and would like to apologise to her family for our shortcomings.

“Since Mrs Bretton was a resident at our homes in 2016, we have continued to improve the care quality at the homes. Two new, experienced home managers are in charge and a new training system has since been put in place at both homes.”

Care Quality Commission inspectors rated The Denby as overall “good” shortly after the concerns were raised.

The Oakes is rated overall as “requires improvement” but HCOne said it has recently been inspected and received “very positive feedback.”