Council rapped over woman's death
A council failed to provide safe home care for a disabled woman found collapsed at home, the Local Government Ombudsman has said in a report.
The wheelchair-bound woman, who was diabetic, was found 13 hours after she should have been visited by a private care company with a council contract.
The 79-year-old woman, who was on the council's highest priority list, died eight days later in hospital.
Blackpool Council said it took the report very seriously.
The council had not acted on complaints about the care company, said the ombudsman.
The ombudsman, Anne Seex, recommended that the council should waive a £849 care fee requested from the woman's niece - called Mrs Lloyd in the report.
It should apologise, pay Mrs Lloyd £500 for her time and trouble in pursuing the complaint to the ombudsman, and offer a memorial or tribute to her aunt, referred to as Miss King in the report.
The ombudsman said the council was guilty of maladministration causing injustice.
"Miss King was badly let down by the council and its provider," said Ms Seex.
"She was the type of person the council should have had in mind had it acted properly to protect service users."
Care plan
Miss King had both legs amputated below her knee, suffered from generalised arthritis, diabetes controlled by diet and was hard of hearing.
A catalogue of complaints about the care company had been made to Blackpool Council, said the ombudsman, but it had not acted effectively on them.
The council, which has apologised to the woman's family, said the contract with the company had been terminated.
Steve Pullan, director of Social Services, said: "I am sorry that our contractor and the system failed this family.
"Steps have been taken to create more robust systems but keeping vulnerable people at home, where they want to be, will always entail some degree of risk.
"However, Blackpool Council will do everything it can to minimise those risks."
Source: The BBC (03/03/2006)
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