Shock at long list of failings at Luton care home

THE daughter of a man whose care triggered a police investigation into a residential home says she cried when she read the “damning” minutes of a meeting held following his death.

Annemarie Yates had to contact the freedom of information watchdog to obtain minutes of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Board meeting, which was called after concerns were raised about the Griffin Care Centre, in Moorland Gardens.

Her father, Mykola Zacharkiw, died in April aged 83 after suffering a series of falls at the home, which has since been given a zero-star rating by the Care Quality Commission and is currently barred from admitting new residents.

After several attempts to obtain the minutes of the June 29 meeting from Luton Borough Council, she finally received them after asking the Information Commissioner to step in.

And what she received made grim reading.

Among the concerns raised were:

– Medication records being completed when no medication had been given;

– Dehydrated residents who had no access to drinks;

– Apparently falsified records, including care plans, risk assessments and observation charts;

– Injuries being dismissed as ‘minor’ by the home’s deputy manager when they included severe facial bruising;

– A number of serious incidents possibly stemming from residents not being properly supervised, including unexplained bruising, falls and skin tears;

– Staff fearing retribution from management if they chose to blow the whistle on the home’s failings;

– Concerns over staff attitude, staff competence and staff personal hygiene;

– Wounds being dealt with inadequately;

– Failure to inform the council’s adult social care department of deaths or hospital admissions in certain cases;

– ‘Undignified’ outcomes for residents because of management failure and conflict between the manager and her deputy.

Mrs Yates said: “The only thing that could have been worse than reading this would have been if somebody had taken a knife and stabbed my father through the heart.”

The manager, Coleen Mullen, had left the home shortly before the meeting was held, and her deputy, Reuben Mandizvidza, was moved to another home, Milliner House, and subsequently dismissed and his conduct referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Mrs Yates is still waiting for final reports into her father’s care from the home’s owners, Southern Cross, and Luton Borough Council.

She is also upset that her family was not told that there were already concerns about the Griffin when the council initially gave them a list of care homes from which to choose.

She said: “I asked why we weren’t told about the concerns and they told me that they didn’t do that because it would look bad.

“People are making really difficult decisions every day about where they should place their loved ones.

“We are talking about people who are as vulnerable as children.”

A spokesman for Luton Borough Council said its response to Mrs Yates’ complaint about her father’s care would be sent to her by the end of this month, and said detailed information on care homes was publicly available on the CQC website.

Southern Cross said it was in the process of finalising its report into Mr Zacharkiw’s care, and had invited Mrs Yates back to the Griffin to show her the improvements that had been made.

Phil Keeling, area manager for Southern Cross, said: “Any slip in standards is taken very seriously.”

Findings from the council’s investigation into the home had not yet been shared with Southern Cross, he added.