Administrator defends actions that led to 27 residents dying in one year
The Birmingham Mail had an interesting article about a nursing home administrator defending the care provided to residents despite the fact that 27 of her resdients died in one year! The former manager of a Birmingham nursing home has hit back at allegations she didn’t look after residents properly.
Kathleen Smith, who ran the Maypole Nursing Home, in Kings Heath, until it was shut down by inspectors told a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing yesterday that she adequately managed residents’ incontinence.
Defending herself, Smith, described it as not "unusual" to see residents seated with incontinence pads showing above their trousers. But, she said: "It’s different to say you’re leaving them walk around with a pad out – that’s undignified."
Smith also dismissed claims she allowed a resident with chest problems to be inappropriately restrained in a bucket chair. "It’s rubbish," she said, "I totally, totally disagree with that. The chair didn’t tilt back, it was a semi-recumbent chair."
Smith also refuted accusations she had allowed a resident’s nails to grow curled and yellow. "It’s absolutely ludicrous," she added.
The misconduct probe into Smith, who said she currently worked as a community psychiatric nurse, is also looking into allegations against her former Maypole nurse colleagues Carol Estelle Bushell and Mary Kathleen Casey.
Bushell, 48, of West Heath, and Casey, 70, of Harborne, have already admitted allowing drugs to be given to the wrong patients.
I doubt that these occurances just started. Why did it take so long for inspectors to notice these violations of standards of care?
This is a disgrace!
I would imagine that the investigators will argue that their budget was cut leaving less investigators and less time to do proper investigations. It is a shame.