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Care Home Rushes to Supermarket as Water Supply Fails
27 May
Summary
- Staff bought bottled water and supplies after a burst pipe disrupted water.
- The care home prioritized resident hydration checks during the outage.
- Water supply was restored after engineers repaired a burst water main.
During soaring temperatures, staff at Dorrington House care home in Dereham, Norfolk, made an urgent trip to a supermarket to purchase bottled water. The emergency purchase followed a burst pipe that caused low water pressure or a complete loss of supply on Sunday.
Activities manager Kerrie Wollen described arriving at work on Sunday to find the water off. She and her team quickly bought two trolleys of bottled water, paper plates to avoid washing up, and wet wipes to maintain hygiene. They initiated half-hourly checks to ensure all residents, some with dementia, received adequate drinks.
Anglian Water confirmed the burst water main was repaired, though a second burst on the same pipe required further attention. The company apologized for the disruption, particularly in the hot weather, and stated that all customers and businesses in the Dereham area now have their water supply restored.
Louise Daglish, the home's resident manager, expressed immense relief when the water supply was confirmed as restored on Monday morning. She commended her staff for their dedication and teamwork in prioritizing the residents' well-being throughout the challenging situation.
