Blackpool care home fined over elderly woman's death

Highbury House Care Home in Blackpool provided personal care to people aged 65 and over

A home has been fined £120,000 over the death of an elderly resident who was "exposed to significant harm", the care watchdog has said.

Mary Fallon was found unresponsive in her bed at Highbury House Care Home in Blackpool in June 2019.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the home failed to ensure she received proper treatment for pressure ulcers.

DM Care Limited was found guilty of failing to provide safe care at Blackpool Magistrates' Court.

The firm, which was also convicted of failing to alert the CQC that a notifiable safety incident had occurred, given the fine and also ordered to pay £18,000 in costs.

The home's manager, 30-year-old Rebecca Tucker, was also ordered to pay a £2,000 fine and £5,000 in costs after being found guilty of failing to discharge a duty imposed on her resulting in avoidable harm.

'Failed in legal duty'

The CQC said Mrs Fallon was admitted to the home, which it has since ordered to be closed, in May 2017 and had no previous history of pressure sores.

On 5 November 2018, she was treated by district nurses for pressure ulcer wounds on her feet.

She was discharged from their care on 15 April 2019.

The watchdog said from 23 April, there were a further 44 entries in Mrs Fallon's care plan showing her pressure sores had returned.

However, it said rather than seeking treatment from the district nursing team, Tucker instead decided to treat the sores herself.

The CQC has since ordered the care home to close

On 28 June, Mrs Fallon was found unresponsive in bed and was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

She died on 14 July with the primary cause of death listed as multi-organ failure caused by septicaemia, pressure sores and generalised atherosclerosis.

The CQC said Tucker failed to ensure Mrs Fallon received proper treatment for pressure ulcers and failed to ensure she received adequate preventative care.

It also said the registered provider failed to show governance and oversight and had a preventing pressure sores policy which was outdated and did not refer sufficiently to national guidance.

Sheila Grant, the CQC's head of adult social care inspection, said Mrs Fallon "had the right to be kept safe while living in and receiving care from DM Care Limited", but the provider and Tucker had "failed in their legal duty to protect her from being exposed to significant harm".