Council apologises after elderly Wakefield couple left in soiled clothes and wet bedding by carers

An elderly Wakefield couple were left in soiled clothes and wet bedding by carers who were supposed to look after them, a damning report has found.
The couple were given medicines incorrectly and often left waiting hours for carers to turn up.The couple were given medicines incorrectly and often left waiting hours for carers to turn up.
The couple were given medicines incorrectly and often left waiting hours for carers to turn up.

Workers from a homecare agency hired for the couple by Wakefield Council arrived late for appointments and "failed to treat them with dignity", the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.

The council has apologised and was told to pay £750 in compensation to the couple's family.

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The agency who delivered the care was not named by the Ombudsman, despite being directly responsible for the failings.

Wakefield Council, who hired the agency, apologised for the failings.Wakefield Council, who hired the agency, apologised for the failings.
Wakefield Council, who hired the agency, apologised for the failings.

The agency was employed by the council in May 2019 to visit the couple, referred to as Mr and Mrs Y in the report, twice a day.

They were expected to help them get out of bed, get washed and dressed and prepare food for them.

But within a month of the arrangement starting, the couple's son and daughter reported the carers were arriving late, failing to give them medication correctly and using their mobile phones instead of delivering care.

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The Ombudsman's report said the elderly couple were on one occasion "left in soiled clothes and wet bedding", by the agency.

One of them also had eye drops put into the wrong eye, while on another day a carer arrived at 11am for an 8.20am appointment.

Although the couple's family said the service did improve they remained unhappy with the contractor and with the help of a social worker found a different agency in August 2019.

The Ombudsman said: "The care contractor failed to provide the standard of care Mr and Mrs Y and (their family) may reasonably expect.

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"Nobody should be left soiled, wearing soiled clothes or in wet or soiled bedding. That is not preserving their dignity.

"The times set for care calls reflect the needs of the client to be woken up, washed, fed and given their medication.

"I find the contractor failed significantly to provide the care at the right times and to the right standard. As the council’s contractor, the council is responsible for that poor care."

The local authority's director of public health, Anna Hartley, said: "Wakefield Council takes its responsibilities for caring for vulnerable people in our district very seriously as we are fully committed to providing high quality care to all who need our support.

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"We fully accept the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s findings and have sincerely apologised to the family concerned for the distress they experienced.

"We have learned lessons and have made changes to our procedures to ensure complaints about care, provided by contractors that deliver services on our behalf, are quickly addressed and resolved.

"We are also working hard alongside all our home care providers to support them to deliver the compassionate, caring services that local people need."

Local Democracy Reporting Service