Elderly Lady suffers pressure damage to her skin and malnourishment leading to hospital admission.

Background

We acted for an elderly lady who after an initial period of respite care was admitted permanently.  Within a period of 4 months she was unresponsive and admitted to hospital.  A safeguarding referral was made by the hospital.

She had suffered deterioration in her condition in that she had lost weight, became malnourished and hypoglycaemic. She also developed serious, distressing and avoidable pressure damage to her skin as identified by the hospital on admission.   She required a prolonged hospital stay and was discharged to a different care home.

Our client was losing weight but this was not monitored or recorded so it went unnoticed.  The care staff did not monitor or record her skin integrity.  She was not repositioned as she ought to have been when damage did occur and the care plan was not updated.  Malnutrition and weight loss are factors in the development of pressure ulcers and so must be closely monitored.

Overall, the standard of pressure area care and treatment, risk assessments and care plan adherence and review, fell below the standards expected by reasonably competent staff working within the care setting.    This led to considerable pain and suffering for our client requiring an inpatient hospital stay.

As we know with elderly people, any injury combined with pre-existing problems produce an outcome which is far worse that the individual problems involved.

Representation

We brought a claim against the care home for negligence due to the failing of their staff to provide the standard to care expected.  

Resolution

We achieved a financial settlement on behalf of the estate of our client who subsequently died for unrelated reasons. The case highlights that those employed to provide care must do so at a high standard, failing which the consequences can be very real and significant.

Contact Irvings

Irvings Law are specialists in handling claims involving care home neglect and injury and are committed to fighting neglect in care homes and securing financial compensation for victims of care home neglect.

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