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Care Home Staff's Cruel 'Die Here' Remark Exposed
29 Oct
Summary
- Staff told a resident wanting to go home, 'you will leave when you die'.
- Inspectors found a culture of neglect and unmet resident needs.
- Failures included unsafe medicine management and inadequate care for distressed individuals.
Saxon Lodge, a care home in Canterbury, is now under special measures after a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uncovered significant failings. Inspectors observed a concerning culture where residents' needs were consistently unmet, and leadership failed to address raised concerns. This included instances of staff speaking to residents in a derogatory and neglectful manner.
One particularly distressing example involved a staff member telling a resident who repeatedly asked to go home that she would only leave the facility upon her death. The inspection, which occurred in July when 21 people resided at the home, also revealed unsafe medicine management practices with unclear instructions and incomplete records. Food provided did not always meet residents' specific dietary requirements, with one individual receiving lumpy pureed food posing a choking risk.
Furthermore, staff lacked adequate guidance to support anxious or distressed residents, leading to situations that frightened other individuals and required relatives to intervene. Residents often experienced a lack of meaningful engagement, spending much of their time passively watching television or walking corridors. The CQC is now initiating regulatory action against the care home.
