A Bermondsey care home has apologised after staff failed to report a resident with dementia missing for two hours after she got stuck in a cupboard.
The woman was left dehydrated and bruised, according to an independent report into the March 2021 incident at Tower Bridge Care Home, which looks after residents on behalf of Southwark Council. Police were called and the woman was taken to hospital for treatment, where she stayed for around a month.
Sadly, the woman, who previously was “fully mobile”, according to the report, has gone downhill and “is now cared for in bed and requires full support with all her care needs and with food and fluid.”
The council was ordered to pay £1,300 to the woman – known as Miss Y in the report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman – and her daughter, identified as Miss X.
Inspectors said: “Staff noticed Miss Y was missing from the care home. The police were called over two hours later, after staff had searched for her. Miss Y was found by police in a locked store room in the home, several hours after she was last seen by care home staff.
“Care home staff did not tell Miss X that Miss Y was missing until after the police attended the care home. Miss Y was admitted to hospital where it found she was dehydrated with bruising on her head.”
HC-One, which manages the home, apologised to daughter Miss X and said it would make changes to ensure these mistakes did not happen again.
A spokesperson added: “Our priority is to deliver the best possible care for each resident we serve, so we deeply regret that on this occasion mistakes were made which led to us falling short of the standards residents and their loved ones rightfully expect and deserve.
“We apologise to the resident and their family for the distress which this caused.”