Home / Crime and Justice / Care Home Failures: Lost Items and Dehydration
Care Home Failures: Lost Items and Dehydration
19 Feb
Summary
- Care home failed to provide adequate care for a resident.
- Resident suffered dehydration and suspected sepsis.
- Jewellery was lost from the resident after her death.
A report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has detailed significant care failures at Aria Court in March, Cambridgeshire. The ombudsman found that staff did not provide a sufficient standard of care to a resident, identified as Mrs X, who had moved into the home in October 2024. Mrs X, who had dementia and required one-to-one assistance for feeding, was not given adequate support, leading to dehydration and suspected sepsis, necessitating hospital admission.
Further concerns were raised by Mrs X's daughter, Ms B, who noted a lack of attention to her mother's needs during visits. After Mrs X's death in January 2025, her family discovered that some of her jewellery was missing. The care home's operator, Athena Care Homes (UK) Limited, was contacted for comment. Cambridgeshire County Council, which oversees the home, has accepted the ombudsman's findings and is implementing recommendations to improve care standards and reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring again.
