£27,000 settlement for family of elderly woman who experienced avoidable pressure sores

Posted: 27/07/2016

Penningtons Manches’ clinical negligence team has recovered £27,000 from St Cloud Care for the avoidable pain and suffering experienced by its client’s mother, Mrs C, after she developed severe and very painful pressure sores to her heels and sacrum while resident in one of the company’s care homes, Chestnut View.

Mrs C became a resident of Chestnut View in 2005, suffering with a pre-existing medical history of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s dementia. She was vulnerable to developing pressure sores due to her restricted mobility.

She was noted to have a small pressure sore on her heel in early 2012 and therefore as being at very high risk of having further pressure sores. Over the following months, she developed severe and extremely deep sores on both her heels and her sacrum, which were excruciatingly painful.

A month later, Mrs C’s condition had deteriorated to such an extent that she was admitted to hospital with malnutrition, dehydration and a condition suggesting general neglect. It was extremely distressing and upsetting for Mrs C’s family to see her in this state.

Mrs C spent approximately 10 weeks in hospital, where she made a good recovery. After she was discharged, her family did not want her to return to Chestnut View and therefore moved her to another care home, where she was assessed and placed on a rigorous turning schedule. Mrs C remains at this care home where she is receiving a good standard of care.

It was alleged that Chestnut View failed to provide Mrs C with the appropriate pressure area care and, had this been provided, the pressure sores she developed would have been avoided, as would the extensive period of healing and the associated significant pain and suffering.

After Penningtons Manches wrote to Chestnut View with its client’s allegations, a settlement was reached, which has recently received court approval. It is hoped that this settlement will enable her family to continue to provide care for Mrs C in the future.

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