South Gosforth care home chiefs in hot water

CARE home bosses have been criticised for leaving elderly residents to endure 11 days without hot running water after the boiler packed in.

Old folk at Dene Park House care home in South Gosforth, Newcastle, have had to go without baths and showers and are instead being washed with flasks of hot water boiled in a kettle.

The Chronicle has been contacted by a number of relatives of the pensioners who say this is not the first time it has happened.

Andrew Baty from High Heaton, who’s father Richard, is a resident of Dene Park House Care Home

“It’s staggering this is allowed to happen,” said Andrew Batey, 43, of High Heaton, Newcastle, whose father Richard Batey, 70, a retired civil servant has lived in the home for seven years.

“My father has had a stroke and is paralysed down one side. He has already lost a lot of his dignity by having to be looked after in the home.

“Now he is not even able to have the daily shower that he really looks forward to.

“He is a very proud and old-fashioned man and he is furious.

“This is not the first time this has happened.

“I have complained to the home and have thought about moving dad to another home, but I am reluctant to disrupt him when he has been there for so long.”

Residents can pay over £2,000 a month for their care at the home.

Melanie Auckland, an area manager for Southern Cross Healthcare, said: “Southern Cross can confirm that the two boilers at Dene Park House in Newcastle are still currently switched off, as advised by an independent engineer following a failure of the system.

“During this time, we are making alternative arrangements where necessary, including providing portable boilers and thermos flasks to allow water to be safely transported around the home to ensure that the care provided to our residents is not affected.

”We are working to repair the boilers as a matter of urgency.

“The health and well being of residents is our priority.

“Our aim is always to provide them with the very best and most professional care.”

A spokesman from Newcastle City Council said: “We have reviewed the situation at Dene Park House under our Safeguarding Procedures and have been assured repairs to the boiler will be completed as soon as possible.

“Dene Park House have had interim measures in place to cope with the lack of hot water, and we will be following up individual concerns expressed by some of the service users and their families.”

This is the latest in a string of recent criticisms fired at Darlington-based Southern Cross which runs about 700 homes and is the country’s biggest care home provider.

In March it was predicted pre-tax profits for the whole financial year were likely to be £71m.

Detectives are investigating the death of pensioner Joyce Wordingham at St Michael’s View, South Shields, owned by Southern Cross, along with the deaths of 15 other residents.

An inquiry has also been launched into the care of Thomas Pattison, 81, of Heworth, Gateshead, who lived in the company’s St Mark’s Court care home, after his family were not informed of his death in hospital and concerns were raised about treatment he had received at the home.

Gateshead Council has also stepped in to closely monitor the company’s Armstrong House in Bensham after concerns were raised about shocking standards of care.