Poor Care for Grandparent

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Hi Guys

 

Happy new year to you all.

 

Is there any NHS templates on here as I need to write a complaint letter for my Grandma who is in a home.

 

 

Basically she has her toes cut by the chiropodist last time being was the 16 october. The chiropadist came again on the 27 Nov. But they didnt know why grandmas nail were not cut by anyone else in the meantime.

 

We are complaining because as a diabetic I am told her toe nails need to be cut regularly, chiropodist didnt cut them either on the last visit (27th Nov) even though he had questioned why nobody had cut them.

 

She then ended up on antibiotics as the shoes she was wearing then started to rub and caused infection

 

The wound is supposed to be dressed everyday and eventually on Boxing Day the Doctor was called as antibiotics had not helped, he said that the infection had spread, it was black and swollen and infection was up to her knee. Nobody had noticed this not even the district nurses who had been dressing it. When we went to visit a worker in the home had the cheek to tell us that as grandma is a black lady then thats why they hadnt spotted it because of her skin colouring .

 

Any advice warmly welcomed.

 

thanks

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Thank you poppy, the Chiropdist is private as we leave money with the home to pay him when he comes.

 

The home I am not sure as the council pay for her to be in there, but sure it might be a private home.

 

I think then I might need to establish whether the home had booked him in in November or whether he didnt do her nails for some reason then.

 

I dont suppose you have any templates at all.

 

thank you for your help

 

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Just re-reading my post and realised I didnt put down that she has Alzeimers, I will try my very best to do letter - all comments welcome. Just going to type it up now

 

x

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Right this is the letter to her doctors. I am still trying to establish with the care home whether it was there negiligence for not putting on the nail list to get toes done or whether or not it was the Chiropractors fault.

 

This is the doctors one - thoughts please

 

Formal Complaint

Dear Mrs Davis

I am writing on behalf of XXXXXXXX and am making a formal complaint against the trust for their recent negligence of care.

As you are fully aware Sedonia has Alzheimers and Diabetes. Having diabetes it is paramount that she receives good food care. On October the 16th, 2007 she received a visit from the Chiropodist for her regular toe care, they came again on the 27th November however I am told they didn’t visit her on this day.

I am aware that the home called you on the 19th December having noticed that her leg had become infected and a course of antibiotics where given. I am shocked and dismayed that it took a week for the district nurses to get a more senior member of medical staff to look at her leg, when her leg was that swollen and bruised to her knee! I am told that due to her being a black lady that this might be one of the reasons that the infection hadn’t been spotted sooner. This is unacceptable. I can appreciate that it might have been slightly harder to detect but not to notice swelling is negligent.

I am now told from the hospital that due to the lack of care not only with the district nurses and the home that if this next course of antibiotics doesn’t work then she will have to have her leg amputated as the infection is now gone into her bone.

I would like you to look into this immediately, and if a satisfactory response is not received within the next 2 weeks then I will have no other option but to seek legal advice.

[Mrsmancmonkey]

This is for the Chiropodist, I am told that he does everyone on a 6 week basis and for some reason just missed her that time

 

Dear Mr Folkner

 

I am writing on behalf of xxxxxxxxxxx, at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxin xxxxxxxxxxx and am making a formal complaint against yourself as due to your actions this situation wouldn’t have arisen.

 

As you may or may not be aware, xxxxxxxxxxxxx has Alzheimers and Diabetes. Having Diabetes it is paramount that she receives good food care. On October the 16th, 2007 you visited her for her 6 weekly toe care, I am told that you came again on the 27th November, 2007 however you missed her of your list of patients, failing to cut her nails. I have been told by xxxxxxxxxxxx (Home Manager) that she was on the list provided, as all residences have their nails done 6 weekly.

 

Due to your actions, and subsequent care that she has received she is now in hospital and I am told from the hospital that if this next course of antibiotics doesn’t work then she will have to have her leg amputated as the infection is now gone into her bone. I would like to add that if her toes had been maintained then we would not be in this situation now.

 

I would like you to look into this immediately and if a satisfactory response is not received within the next 2 weeks then I will have no other option but to seek legal advice.

 

Regards

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Any suggestions folks about the letters please would be much appreciated? Do you think I have missed anything out

 

Thanks

[Mrsmancmonkey]

The other one was for the district nurses practice. I finally managed to get hold of the Chiropidist and he told me that because my grandma (who has alzeimers) said she didnt want them doing, didnt do it!! He reckons he checked her feet and agreed it with the Home manager, however they are saying nothing was agreed with them?? What do you think my next step is?

 

Thanks poppy for your help

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Ha I have...

 

She is still in hospital, but doctors think that the new antibiotics are working on her, fingers and toes crossed.

 

x

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Hi Trixter

 

Thank you so much for your response. We have written to the nursing home and are waiting for them to respond back to us.

 

We leave some pocket money for her for her feet care and for other essentials which is paid on a monthly basis to the home.

 

Its quite interesting you point out that its the carehome at fault and not the chiropodist as the home when talking to the Care Manager she was making out that its his fault for missing her off, obviously the aftercare she received they feel was acceptable even though it took nearly 2 months from the last visit f(and somewhere inbetween) and for us/district nurse to be told of the infection. I will wait to see what sort of reponse we get and keep you posted.

 

Thanks again for that

 

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Will keep you posted we havent heard back yet, I am giving them until mid week to reply so will let you know what they say then.

 

Have a good weekend guys x

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Hi Rideout.

 

We have moved my grandma to a different home as the response we got from the home was that it was down to the Chripodist and although the care wasnt to their normal standards they basically arent going to do anything.

 

I have to be honest been pre occupied as we are in the process of moving home, have our sister in law with us and trying to sort her housing out too, however as soon as the sale has gone through i am going to take it further as their response was unacceptable to say the least

 

xx

[Mrsmancmonkey]

Super thank you, as soon as we get moved I will PM you if thats ok? Thanks for your help x