\n
The nursing home in Fortwilliam Park, which provides care for up to 64 patients, is currently appealing a decision by the health watchdog to close it down.<\/p>\n
In April, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) said patients were \u201csuffering avoidable harm\u201d at Parkdean, which is owned by Amstecos Ltd.<\/p>\n
It issued a notice of decision to cancel the registration of the home after it was found to be failing to meet standards in wound care. <\/p>\n
Concerns had also been raised about poor patient outcomes regarding end-of-life care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
FAMILY HANDOUT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nMrs Wilson lived a full life prior to her cancer diagnosis<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Following a Freedom of Information Act request, BBC News NI can reveal that the number of safeguarding referrals made to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust regarding Parkdean Nursing Home increased dramatically in the past three years.<\/p>\n
In 2021, seven referrals were made to the trust\u2019s adult protection gateway team; in 2022, six referrals were made; but in 2023, the number of safeguarding referrals had risen to 40.<\/p>\n
Mrs Wilson lived a full and independent life well into her 80s, but following a cancer diagnosis was admitted to Parkdean for palliative care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
‘They’re being very rough with me’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
Her son said her complaints about the home started quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing she said to me was: \u2018They\u2019re being very rough with me in here\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
“Those words will always stick with me, because I sort of thought: \u2018What do you mean mum? Be careful. Like what do you mean by that?\u2019 <\/p>\n
“She just said: ‘They\u2019re being rough with me when they\u2019re turning me or they\u2019re changing me\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was saying: \u2018They don\u2019t take any time with me, they don\u2019t speak to me, everything\u2019s rushed\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said a request from his mother for the home to facilitate emotional support to help her come to terms with her diagnosis went unmet.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe would have loved nothing more than to just have a wee chat with a cup of tea,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
FAMILY HANDOUT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nMrs Wilson at the Great Wall of China<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Mrs Wilson\u2019s situation was escalated after a nurse visited the home to check on a pre-existing leg wound and discovered it hadn\u2019t been tended to since she moved in 11 days beforehand.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe discovered when she assessed my mum that the wound was festering,\u201d Mr Wilson told the BBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like an ulcer and it had been seeping blood, and it was giving off a very strong odour.<\/p>\n
\u201cMum had been saying she was in pain, but wasn\u2019t maybe able to extract what levels of pain and where it was. But I\u2019m sure in hindsight, looking back, that pain would have been awful.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking back, 11 days just sounds horrific. It\u2019s hard to even contemplate how a lady that\u2019s so frail and vulnerable in that position, that\u2019s being changed on a daily basis allegedly and moved, that that wouldn\u2019t be picked up. <\/p>\n
“I can\u2019t understand even to this day how that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse who discovered the wound made a safeguarding referral to the Belfast Trust, which subsequently carried out an investigation into Mrs Wilson\u2019s care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Poor quality of care<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
In its report, the investigating team concluded \u201cthere [did] not appear to be criminal intent to have \u2018wilfully\u2019 neglected Mrs Wilson\u201d. <\/p>\n
It added there was \u201csignificant evidence to suggest that the fragmented relationships among the members of staff, lack of communication and carelessness contributed to the poor quality of care that Mrs Wilson received\u201d.<\/p>\n
In its statement to BBC News NI, Parkdean Nursing Home said it had \u201ccooperated fully\u201d with the investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cA series of actions were agreed and the investigation was closed on 31 January 2024,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe experiences described by Mr Wilson are not typical of the experience of residents in Parkdean.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wellbeing of our residents has always been our top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement added that since the opening of the home in 1984, it had cared for many hundreds of patients – the vast majority of whom had been \u201cvery happy\u201d with the care they received.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
FAMILY HANDOUT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nMrs Wilson with Gavin as a child<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Following the Belfast Trust\u2019s investigation, Mr Wilson said some improvements had been made during his mother\u2019s time at the home \u2013 particularly around communication between staff and himself.<\/p>\n
But he said his mother, who was fully aware of her situation, died believing she was being neglected.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was eating away at her because there were just so many things on a daily basis that she was exposed to that made her think: \u2018What is happening to me? Why have I been left here? Why am I being neglected so badly?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose that placement with the view that my mum\u2019s end of life care was going to be managed well, managed safely, managed comfortably, she was going to be content as much as she could be. And at no stage was that done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Wilson said he spoke at one point to the then manager of the home who admitted: \u201cWe have let your mum down, I know, and I\u2019m really sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the manager had a tear in their eye because they \u201cknew the whole thing was a mess\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Wilson added that he would not put his \u201cworst enemy\u201d in Parkdean, and is now calling for the home to be closed down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
FAMILY HANDOUT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nMrs Wilson with her son and grandchildren<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
The RQIA told the BBC that its move in April to close the home followed \u201cproportionate and stepped enforcement actions\u201d since August last year.<\/p>\n
It said the decision was due to Parkdean\u2019s \u201ccontinued failure to achieve compliance\u201d with its regulations.<\/p>\n
In the past 10 years, five care homes have been closed as a result of RQIA enforcement action. <\/p>\n
Parkdean is now appealing the watchdog\u2019s decision to cancel its registration to the Care Tribunal. <\/p>\n
As a respondent to the appeal, the RQIA is currently awaiting a hearing date.<\/p>\n
In a statement, it added: \u201cThroughout this time, RQIA continues to work with the health and social care trusts, who are engaging with residents and their families directly affected by these circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Belfast Trust told the BBC it had been working closely with families and residents to ensure a smooth transition to a new care home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that this is an anxious time for residents and their families, we wish to reassure them that their well-being is our priority and they will be fully supported throughout this process,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just now By\u00a0Lyndsey Telford,\u00a0BBC News NI FAMILY HANDOUT Ethna Wilson was a resident at Parkdean Nursing Home in north Belfast An elderly woman who was terminally ill died believing she was being neglected at a care home that is now facing closure. Ethna Wilson, 88, was a resident at Parkdean Nursing Home in north Belfast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48],"tags":[139,14255,632,8706,14254],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38243"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38245,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38243\/revisions\/38245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}