News
Heating was off for TEN days at the care home where eight residents died
Half of the residents at a 16-bed care home died when they contracted 'chest-related illnesses' after being left without central heating for up to ten days.
The eight pensioners all died over two weeks shortly after the heating system at their home failed around Christmas. Last night the son of a woman of 93 who was among the dead, accused the home's owners, Southern Cross Healthcare, of responsibility for the deaths after it took up to ten days to have the fault fixed.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection has launched an investigation into Crown Nursing Home after eight pensioners died within days of each other
One of the county's oldest women, Elizabeth 'Queenie' Carpenter, died aged 107 at Crown Nursing Home
The firm - the biggest care home provider in the country - has been prosecuted five times over the last seven years after a series of deaths and safety failings.
Earlier this month, police began an investigation into the death of a 97-year- old at another home run by Southern Cross. There were claims that she had contracted pneumonia after being left without heating. Last night, inspectors from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, which was set up by the Government to monitor adult care providers, confirmed inspectors had been sent to Crown Nursing Home in the village of Harwell, near Didcot, Oxfordshire, to investigate the latest deaths.
Muriel Riddiford, a mother-of-two with one granddaughter, was among six women and two men to perish at the former pub. The residents were aged from 85 to 107 and all died between January 9 and 25.
The 107-year-old was Elizabeth 'Queenie' Carpenter, who died on the same day as Mrs Riddiford- January 13. Last night, Russell Riddiford, 61, said relatives were forced to take electric heaters into the home in an attempt to warm the freezing rooms.
Mr Riddiford, a college technician from Didcot, said: 'The senior management said they couldn't get the parts to fix the heating over the Christmas period but surely they have an emergency plan?
'It was meant to be one of the coldest spells for years at that point.
'Myself and a relative of another resident took heaters in but even if you have heaters in the living room the bedrooms are still going to be extremely cold.
He said a manager had bought 'a couple' of fan heaters out of her budget. The residents are believed to have initially fallen ill after contracting a virulent chest infection.
The cause of death on six of them - including Mrs Riddiford - was recorded as pneumonia.
Mrs Carpenter, one of the two other residents, died of a chest-related infection and old age. A CSCI spokesman refused to comment on Mr Riddiford's specific allegations.
A spokesman for Southern Cross Healthcare insisted: 'The central heating broke down on Boxing Day.
'Temporary heaters were made available and at no time did temperatures fall below the recommended level.'
The nursing home, which charges fees of £721-£760 per week, was rated 'good' by the CSCI at its most recent inspection - an unannounced spot check conducted in May last year. By Andy Dolan and Matt Sandy
Richard Biggs, Associate at Ralli and member of the NursingHomeAbuse team comments: "This is a distressing and avoidable tragedy. Sadly the elderly are often neglected and offered very little protection.
At Ralli we have a dedicated team specifically to pursue claims arising from abuse in the nursing homes. Relatives worried about the standard of care provided by a care home should view the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) website. The website (www.csci.org.uk) publishes inspection reports which consider the standard of care homes. However even a good report is not a sign that all is well a particular home – note that in this care home the CSCI had carried out a check just last year.
On our dedicated website www.nursinghomeabuse.co.uk_ we list signs of abuse which concerned relatives should look out for. Relatives should always be vigilant. There are a large number of organisations working hard to increase the standard of care homes and to call for better regulation. However as yet, the elderly seem particularly vulnerable at a time they most need help.
