A Kirklees local authority care home has agreed to an out of court settlement including compensation and legal fees. An independent investigation and a consultant geriatrician found that aspects of the care that Mrs Phyllis Taylor received at the Castle Grange care home, Huddersfield in 2006 were substandard.

Despite obvious signs of ill health and the voiced concerns of her family, Mrs Taylor, a diabetic who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, encountered significant problems. Care staff failed to meet her diabetic dietary needs, failed to provide assistance with feeding and drinking – even though she was too confused to recognise the correct cutlery – and failed to help her to use the toilet. Perhaps more seriously, there were numerous occasions of her medication being omitted.

On the 4th August 2006 at the insistence of her husband Michael Taylor and daughter Mandy Foster, Mrs Taylor was eventually seen by a doctor and immediately admitted to hospital suffering from septicaemia, significant dehydration and derangement of diabetic control.

The consultant geriatrician reported that “ aspects of her care at Castle Grange Care Home were substandard in respect of her being allowed to deteriorate without medical attention being sought in a timely manner….. in addition, inadequate attention was given to ensuring a satisfactory fluid intake and this was probably compounded by her being given food and drinks containing sugar, despite her having diabetes.”

The settlement was reached after Mr Taylor instructed Ridley And Hall Solicitors to pursue a claim against the local authority after what he described as ‘ the disgusting treatment of my wife in the very place supposed to look after her care needs’.

Sarah Young, Managing Partner at Ridley & Hall Solicitors commented: “it was only at the insistence of Mrs Taylor’s family that medical attention was sought to treat her for the health problems precipitated by the lack of care at Castle Grange and that is not acceptable – fortunately in this case Mrs Taylor made a full recovery in hospital and is now happily resident in another local care home”.