Payout for dementia patient burned on hot water pipe
A DEMENTIA patient who suffered burns at a care home where she was being looked after has received a “significant” compensation pay-out, her solicitors have revealed.
Brenda Williams, 74, was admitted to the Burns Unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea to treat serious injuries which her solicitors Thompsons said were caused by hot water piping in her bedroom that was not adequately covered or lagged.
The injuries caused in the incident, at Swansea’s Campion Gardens Care Home over the Christmas period in 2012, included intense burns of more than 10 inches to her left forearm and further burns of six inches to her left leg, Thompsons said.
Mrs Williams’ husband Colin, of Swansea, said she has deteriorated significantly following what he called the painful and distressing incident. His wife is now at another care home and Mr Williams said the payout will ensure his wife’s needs will be met.
Mr Williams said: “When it became no longer safe for me to care for Brenda, I placed all my trust in Campion Gardens Care Home. Within days, she was hospitalised with severe burns.”
A spokesman for Campion Gardens said in a statement: “We are very sorry that Mrs Williams was injured in December 2012 whilst a resident with us. Whilst the family were aware that her condition presented challenges, it was concluded that Mrs Williams’ care needs were met by our staff during her time with us.
“We undertook an immediate review and introduced new procedures for more regular lagging audits of smaller sections of the home at a time.”