A Stirling care home employee who left a resident unattended and in a distressed state as his call bell had been disconnected was this week fined a total of £790.
Fifty-eight-year-old carer Angela Carson had admitted ill treatment or wilful neglect of the man, who was in his fifties, under the Health (Scotland) Act 2016. Not guilty pleas to two further ill treatment charges – involving men aged 93 and 76 – on the same date had been accepted by the Crown.
The man had been shouting for assistance without any response overnight between March 26 and 27 at the William Simpson Home, Old Plean, which caters for a range of health issues.
Carson, who was responsible for the resident, had started her shift at 8.30pm on March 26, but a witness who went into the complainer’s room at 6.30am the following day noticed the man’s face was bright red and he was in a distressed state.
The call system was not connected to the wall and the resident “was unhappy and upset as he had been shouting for help”.
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The resident’s continence aid was overflowing with urine and his sheet had dried urine stains on it. The witness formed the opinion the resident had been unattended for some time and an investigation took place after which the police were contacted.
Carson’s agent had previously stressed his client had not reconnected the buzzer properly when she had been cleaning up the room at 11pm on March 26. The solicitor also pointed out that March 27, 2021, had been the anniversary of the death of Carson’s mother.
When the matter called for sentence at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday, referring to the resident’s care plan, Sheriff Derek Hamilton pointed out that continence pads required to be changed every four hours and at six hours during the night to ensure undisturbed sleep. The buzzer should also be checked.
Sheriff Hamilton however said he backed Carson’s position that she had missed one four-hour visit.
Carson’s solicitor Virgil Crawford told Sheriff Hamilton on Wednesday that his client was no longer working in care services and earned £1100 per month on a bakery production line. This represented a drop in £500 from her job as a carer.
Passing sentence, Sheriff Hamilton told her it was a serious matter since vulnerable people were put in the charge of care homes – and their families “had to have some faith and trust in staff”.
He described the matter as “more than a simple oversight” but “was satisfied with the explanation I have been given”.
He fined Carson, of Falkirk, £750, reduced from £1000 due to her guilty plea with a surcharge of £40. The £790 was payable at a rate of £50 per month.
