An Open letter to the Prime Minister

To Those It Should Concern.

An open letter to The Prime Minister.

(This report is the copyright of Eileen Chubb)

 

Dear Mr Brown,

This Charity has been running a campaign called, Tales of The Un-inspected, for some time, this involves going into care homes under-cover and reporting what we see. Full reports of our work to date can be found on our web site.

We have decided to expand this campaign further, by choosing a care home at random and looking at the inspection reports for a three year period.

We have to date been informing CQC of our findings but no action has been taken, therefore the responsibility has passed to you.

Care Home Number 33, …………………………………………………………………………………………

I have listed below what was noted in the CSCI Inspection report for this home dated April 2008,

1. The heating has been constantly breaking down for several years and it has been reported to the company that owns the home.

My Comments, It is common knowledge that hypothermia can have deadly consequences for elderly people, far too many elderly have died in their own homes. How can a care home say it is providing care if the basics such as heating are not provided? Those elderly in a nursing home are likely to have poor mobility and would be more vulnerable to the lethal effects of cold. It is worth noting this company has a prior history on this issue and elderly people have died. I ask if you find it acceptable that elderly people can die from cold in care home? If you do not find it acceptable what are you going to do about it?

 

2. Relatives say there are not enough staff, the inspector notes that staff are rushing around, and residents left in a back lounge unattended for hours at a time.

My Comments, This home is registered to care for those with dementia, the most vulnerable. These residents can not get up and get food or drink or seek out the comfort of human contact, they are totally relient on the care staff. It is clear from reading this inspection report that there are not enough staff to care for the residents. I ask if leaving people unattended in such a way could be considered as care? And if you do not consider it care what are you going to do about it?

 

3. The report notes that five residents have developed pressure sores since entering the home and that a nurse visiting the home found the treatment plan she put in place had not been carried out.

My Comments, I know from first hand experience what an infected bed sore looks like and the agony that results. Such sores are totally avoidable and in the case of this home the staff are running round trying to cope but there are not enough of them. These wounds and their subsequent lack of treatment are as a direct result of the company ignoring recommendations for more staff. Is that acceptable to you and what are you going to do about it?

 

4. The report notes that staff are lifting residents in a dangerous manner and bedrail risk assessments have not been carried out.

My Comments, It is a fact that elderly people have died after sustaining injuries whilst being lifted by staff in care homes, fatalities have also occurred with bedrails causing strangulation. What I consider important is the lessons learned from such avoidable tragedies as that really says if a company is fit to care. As this company has a prior history I ask if you consider them to be fit to care?

 

5.The reports notes that controlled drugs have gone missing in the past year the home was asked to complete drug audits.

My Comments, Controlled drugs have gone missing on several occassions and yet when this home is inspected no medication audit is carried out. Controlled drugs going missing causes me real concern as I can see the possibility of them being sold outside the home, controlled drugs have a high street value but the assurences of the company in the form of a few tick lists are accepted when throughout this report numerous instances of the past assurences given by this company having turned out to be untrue. When the medication is not checked in a care home where alarms bells are ringing makes me dispair. Do you think the medication in this home should have been investigated on this inspection?

 

6. There are 24 residents in the home who require assitance to eat, it was apparent at supper time that staff were struggling to give the required assitance.

My Comments, If you do not eat or drink you die, that is fact and how many days can this situation continue for before action is taken? The truth is that it is not uncommon for situations like this to continue for years before action is taken, if at all. Unfortunately it is too late for those who live the nightmare of constant hunger and thirst day after day until they get the infection they are too weak to resist and die. No one questions the death of an elderly person. Is this acceptable and what are you going to do about?

 

7. The companys adult safeguarding policy does not meet guidelines putting residents at risk.

My Comments, it is clearly not company policy to address concerns anyway, they have got away with it for years why should they bother meeting recommendations when the worst thing that can happen is another recommendation will be made, if you deny this is the case then I rely on the following absolute proof.

The CSCI inspection report dated March 2009, which notes the following,

 

8. Some of the requirements from the last inspection have not been complied with, for example in response to providing more staff, the company have permantly reduced staff numbers.

My Comments, Senior management have ignored repeated recommendations for more staff, they are told residents are not being fed or given the basic care to sustain life and they respond by cutting back even more. What action is taken? Another recommendation is made, I rest my case on that point but as a matter of interest staff in the home appealed to the seniour company management on this issue which placed residents in very real danger, I consider that whistle-blowing as raising issues of concern with line management is exactly that, now your minister for older people has recently praised a company for its ground breaking work on whistle-blowing and responding to concerns, which company? The one that owns this home. The shield that protects an abuser should not be the very authority appointed to protect the victims.

General issues.

These are just some of other points noted in the report,

 

Nurses asked to sign for controlled drugs being administer daily the day after and without witnessing the administration, ( Known in law by the term fraud )Staff working without references, POVA or CRB checks ( it leaves little in the way of protection but whats the worse that can happen to a company beyond the law?)Urine soaked carpets, Dirty generally, only one bathroom of three that’s usable, the company said they fixed it, curtains hanging of the hooks low wattage bulbs used making most areas dingy, some areas with no lights, Bed ridden residents left unattended so long that it got dark and no one came to switch on the light or close the windows so they we freezing cold.

Relatives asked to pay for basic equipment that should have been provided by the company including the means to keep their doors open ( So staff could see if they were dead or alive when they passed)The call bells removed from some rooms, residents clothes unkempt due to laundry staff being called to help with care, bathrooms dirty,

Threadbare sheets, not enough blankets for residents who were cold, identified risks not acted apon, turn charts not completed, fluid charts showing not enough fluids given, residents ungroomed, residents been moved in a dangerous manner,

Poor food slopped out in small portions, those residents who could get food to their mouths gulped it down as if hungry.

Large tins of baked beans in the storeroom, residents say too many baked beans, staff say the company has cut food budget. The fruit ration available for the home was a bowl containg two bananas and one orange.

2 of the 6 Vegetarians were catered for as the others were no longer able to express their needs due to dementia.

The two trolleys belonging to the housekeeper, one had paint chipped of and the other was held together by duck tape.

Insuffiecent aprons and gloves putting residents at risk of infection, ( Also food poinsoning as care staff handling food and food poisoning can be lethal to the elderly) The inspector was only aware of half the safeguarding referalls that had been made ( the home still not complied with safeguarding guidelines)Dangerous fittings a real danger to residents.

Handwashing gel no longer supplied by company.

Cleaning staff struggling to keep a lid on worst areas, hygien inspection said home needed cleaning.

My Comments, I could list more but have only included the most appalling, this company has made billions in profit and that is fact.

The inspector in this case has done more than most in that she has listed what is wrong, the words wall and banging head occur.

The action? More recommendations.

Of course this kind of shambles was all going to be put right by your new CQC on April 1st 2009. Very apt date to bring them into being. I say they have failed abysmally and I rely on their official response in their CQC report dated June 2009.

The home which had no stars stays at no stars instead of having its rating suspended. Not that star ratings can be relied apon as I have untold examples of homes just like this one with two and three star ratings.

What do the new CQC do? They make yet more recommendations and after another year of suffering is endured they will come back to see if they have been met.

I wonder what odds William Hill would give on this company complying given their form to date.

I look forward to hearing from you soon as I have another seventy four reports of similier findings of fact to follow shortly. If it takes thousands of homes before you act than so be it, I promise they will keep coming.

Eileen Chubb

Cc David Cameron.

Nick Clegg

Health Select Committee.

 

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