Crowborough

My mum has Dementia and was cared for at home where she had in and out careers until her dementia took a downward turn. I moved her to a care home in Crowborough and the care was second to none.

Unfortunately mum took another downward turn and after much effort, drum beating and throwing of toys I eventually managed to have mum referred to the mental health team. Mum was assessed and admitted to hospital under Section 2 of the mental health act.

Mum was finally in a place where her medication could be reviewed, altered and her mood and behaviour improved. Mum stayed in hospital for many months and was placed into a nursing home under Section 3 of the mental health act. I did have input into a nursing home but due to COVID I was not able to visit inside the home Social Services eventually admitted mum into.

I have some photographs that reinforce the poor management and lack of care my mum has been subjected to. I raised a safeguarding with social services regarding mum wearing another residents socks causing swelling and pitting Oedema.

Visiting was initially restricted to 30 minutes in a shed outside the home. By the time mum had settled visiting was over. I contacted the Clinical Director of the Care Home company as other homes were allowing visits in the homes and was allowed to see mum in her room, eventually for longer periods.

Once I had access to mums room I was able to assess her room and her interaction with the staff. This is what I encountered:

Facilities:
Broken furniture
Dirty and breached chair
Trip hazard from hard floor to carpet
Breached electrical wiring on the falls mat
Dripping hot water tap
Dirty Zimmer frame stained with food and faecal matter

Personal items:
Other residents clothing in mum's wardrobe and drawers on many occasions. On one occasion I reported it to the carer and a few days later the clothes I had placed on the bed had simply been placed in a different drawer!

Poorly laundered clothes - dress smelling of faecal matter which I took home to wash. Tears and holes in cardigans. An expensive cardigan that has been shrunk several sizes. Shoes covered in faecal matter but mum was still wearing them. They had spare shoes in her wardrobe.
Wearing jewelry that did not belong to her.
Broken photo frames and ornaments.
Wearing socks not belonging to her that were so tight mum had bilateral oedematous ankles with indentations from the socks (particularly alarming as mum is a diabetic with the potential for neuropathy in her feet).
Greasy, offensive smelling hair (mums pride and joy)

I have made verbal complaints to the carers and the manager. The manager does not engage with me, inform me of changes (COVID) that mean I could take mum out and responds poorly or not at all to emails.

Social services sent some feed back but all a bit weak to be honest.