Cambridgeshire County Council Accepts Failings at Funded Care Home

Cambridgeshire County Council, which funded the care home where a man was given the wrong amount of medication and experienced pressure sores, has acknowledged shortcomings in the service provided to the family. The care home, which was arranged and funded by the council, accepted there were errors in the medication and manual handling, and took steps to address these issues. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, however, found that the incidents did not contribute to the man's decline in health.

Key Takeaways:

• Cambridgeshire County Council funded the care home where a man received inadequate care, including being given the wrong amount of medication and experiencing pressure sores.
• The care home accepted there was an error with giving the man his medication, which was not over the safe limits of medication.
• The home also acknowledged manual handling issues, made a referral to physiotherapy, and took steps to address the pressure sores.
• The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the incidents did not contribute to the man's decline in health.
• The Ombudsman decided not to investigate the complaint and instead accepted the care home's actions.
• Cambridgeshire County Council accepted the Ombudsman's findings and acknowledged the shortcomings in the service provided.
• The care home was "open and transparent" about the incident and took action to address the errors.
• A hoist was put in place to help mobilise the man, and the home contacted a GP to get cream for the pressure injury.
• The council's safeguarding team was notified of the incident, and a referral was made to physiotherapy.

Statistics:

• The man was given the wrong amount of medication, but it was not over the safe limits of medication.
• The care home consulted two doctors and monitored the man, amended his prescription level, and reported the incident to the council's safeguarding team.
• The man was taken to hospital and moved to a different care home after he was discharged.
• The care home accepted there were manual handling issues and made a referral to physiotherapy when they became aware of the pressure sores.

Sources:

• "Lives at risk" warns council insider amid plans to cut 'lifeline' service
• The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman