Judge concern over ‘covert’ medication for elderly care home resident
A specialist judge has expressed concern about the way an elderly woman living in a care home was “covertly” given medication.
Judge Peter Bellamy said the use of covert medication had not been subjected to “proper” safeguards.
He said the pensioner’s relatives had apparently not been involved in making decisions.
The judge had analysed issues relating to the woman’s care in a hearing at the Court of Protection – where judges consider cases involving vulnerable people who might lack the mental capacity to make decisions – and has outlined concerns in a ruling.
He said the woman, who was in her 90s, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and had lived at the care home for more than a year
Part of a care plan had involved the “administration of medication covertly”.
But the judge said: “The use of covert medication in this case was not subject to proper reviews of safeguards.”
He added: “There appears to have been no harm caused.”
Judge Bellamy said the woman could not be identified.
His ruling did not say where when or where the court hearing had been staged.
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