Family of 88-year-old demand answers for 'abrupt' action
THE family of a dementia patient are making a formal complaint against health bosses after residents at Arlington House were forced out over safety concerns.
Andrew Lacey said he was told to move his vulnerable 88-year-old mum at short notice or Torbay Care Trust would take legal steps to secure her welfare without family consent.
-
Now, the 50-year-old communications manager said he wants answers about why such abrupt action was taken.
Torbay Care Trust and the Care Quality Commission have refused to reveal details about the nature of their concerns.
The trust said it had urgent concerns and took the decision to move residents because it was 'not confident of the quality of care'.
Mr Lacey said: "I was completely shocked to receive a phone call from the trust at the end of Wednesday saying that the trust had urgent concerns and that if we did not move my mother from Arlington House they would place a Court Protection Order on her which would mean that she would have to move even if we didn't want her to.
"In subsequent phone calls and meetings with the trust, we have tried to establish what on earth can have happened to make them take the sudden and drastic action that they did, but we have had no answers to convince us that this level of response was justified."
Mr Lacey, who works for Mid-Devon district council said he was faced with chaotic scenes when he went to the home last Thursday.
Trust staff had been moving residents during the day.
Mr Lacey said he first heard from Torbay Care Trust on February 26 in a letter which advised that the home was the subject of a Safeguarding Whole Home Investigation. But he said he had no reason to act at that stage because it said that the owners and the management team were committed to working positively to ensure standards were improved.
But the family understand that relationship had broken down by the time residents were moved to other homes.
Mr Lacey said: "We feel that the trust did not take into account the loving care and respect shown by Arlington House owners, management and staff, which are so important for the wellbeing of vulnerable residents, or the damage that a sudden move is bound to cause them.
"They did not ask or take into account the views or wishes of relatives.
"We are bewildered that a care trust could act in this way."
A Care Quality Commission spokesman said that care trust staff had been working with care home owners.
"That decision would have been made with the knowledge that it would be unsettling.
"We have talked to the home owner and to the care trust who had to make the decision."
A Care Trust spokesman added: "We reiterate that we have taken this action at this care home as a last resort and in the best interests of residents."
6 Comments
by Sam, Paignton
Friday, March 19 2010, 12:41PM
“If only the trust were acting fully within the law. It would seem that this lady has been removed from her home against her will because of concerns that she (and in this case her representative) have not been told. Don't we have the mental capacity act to protect the right of individuals to choose what is right for them - even if those choices aren't wise. I haven't heard mention of any independent mental capacity advocate being involved in Mrs Lacey's or any other cases in any of the previous news reports. I am making a guess that Mrs Lacey was not able to make decision for herself and if this is the case an independent advocate should have been sought. If the trsut are saying that they are protecting the individuals and working within the law, surely they have to protect the individuals basic human rights and acknowledge all the laws that apply - not just the ones they want. Mr Lacey seems to have cause to shout about this and in his position I would do the same, unfortunately big organisations like the NHS so rarely llisten to the little people these days and he has been left with the media as a route to try to get some answers. There is something very sad that he has been forced to do this to have his voice heard but I commend him for doing so!”
by Jim, Torquay
Thursday, March 18 2010, 9:22PM
“I think you are missing the point, ShakesHeadinDisbelief. The reason he HAS run to the newspaper is that he HASN'T been told. And were I in his place and it was my mum, I would also have appreciated more disclosure of facts pertaining to her alone, and given more choice in the matter instead of being served up with a notice which basically says 'whether you like it or not'. It's got nothing to do with confidentiality. Personally, I've already lost two close relatives because somebody in the NHS thought they knew what was good for them apparently better than I did and, were I in Mr Lacey's place, I would not allow them to dictate the terms to me, as they have clearly done to him, without lodging a protest, as he has done. My primary concern would lie with my mum's safety and my own reassurance of the fact, not in allowing some government agency yet another chance to win their spurs while I remain in the dark a whole week after the event in question. There are wrong ways and right ways of going about things and in the case of the NHS it's consistently too much of one and not enough of the other.”
by ShakesHeadinDisbelief, Paignton
Thursday, March 18 2010, 8:11PM
“People are saying that Mr Lacey had 'every right' to know why his mother was being moved - he WAS told - "the trust had urgent concerns". That should have been enough. Whatever has happened, it is likely to have involved some of the residents there and their confidentiality needs to be respected. If he had been told, or any other relative of another resident, anyone could then have gone running to the local press (as he has done). The trust are damned if they do, damned if they don't. They have to protect ALL PARTIES in this - including the Care Home owners, managers and staff until such time as the problem is resolved. Give the trust a chance to do their jobs within the guidelines and legislation that they have to work in. Criticise them if they are negligent, do nothing or are innefective, but don't criticise them for putting the interests of the residents first!”
by Susan, Torquay
Thursday, March 18 2010, 6:59PM
“I think Mr Lacey should have been informed he is the next of kin to the person in the home and the person who visits them and takes care of their affairs how dare the Care Trust not confide in him the overall concerns and what led them to move the residents.”
by Jim, torquay
Thursday, March 18 2010, 11:25AM
“I think Mr Lacey had every right to be made party to any evidence BEFORE they moved his mother, whether that evidence was made available to the general public or not.
It seems we are fast turning into a police state which, unless they are directly impacted, most people seem quite happy to go along with.”
by jenloubee, paignton
Thursday, March 18 2010, 10:14AM
“I feel very sorry for Mr Lacey having to move his elderly mother, however this decision would not have been taken lightly.There must be something SERIOUSLY WRONG in this home. The care trust and cqc must have found something that is not obvious to the relatives so would have to have very good evidence to take this drastic action.”