Out-of-court settlement - Woman says nursing home left mother ‘screaming in agony’ with pressure sores

Shirley Dell, 72, from Great Tattenhams, Epsom, has decided to speak out now after Carshalton Nursing Home agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £12,000 earlier this year.

Her frail mother Ivy Jones, a lifelong Mitcham resident, developed painful pressure sores soon after moving into the care home in November 2012. She died four months later.

The family's lawyers said an investigation by Surrey Council found the care home raised concerns about her legs with medical professionals but should have done more to make sure the sores were properly treated.

Although the care home has never admitted liability, it agreed an out-of-court settlement with her daughter in March.

Mrs Dell said: "I just wanted some form of justice for my mum. When they changed her dressings she used to scream in agony. It wasn’t right for her to suffer like she did."

In November 2012 Mrs Jones was admitted to the care home with dry skin on both legs and within weeks her legs were swollen and covered in blisters.

Relatives say their complaints to staff at the home ‘fell on deaf ears’ so they raised the alarm with her social worker and moved her to another care home in January.

Granddaughter Tanya Chapman, 48, said: "It was the most harrowing time of my life to hear my precious nan screaming in pain when the disgusting dressings were taken off.

"To this day that memory is etched deeply in my mind and doesn’t seem to fade at all. I can still hear her crying and screaming."

Ivy Jones before the ordeal

Clinical negligence lawyer Jacqui Hayat, from Slater and Gordon, said: "Mrs Jones was in a lot of discomfort and distress in the last few months of her life which could have been avoided."

The owner of the care home said it is unable to comment due to legal reasons.

A spokesman at Sutton Council said they "found the quality of care fell below the expected standard" and placed an embargo on the home until November 2014 while improvements were made.

He said: "The home has improved significantly, particularly since a new home manager has been put in post."

Mrs Jones, a mother-of-three, worked three jobs to support her family after husband Archie was killed in the Second World War. She remarried Royal Navy veteran Alf, took in his daughter and later fostered two boys.

Despite being "fiercely independent", she was moved into the care home after having falls at home.

Mrs Dell said: "I thought she’d be better looked after somewhere else but I hated it. I cried for days at the thought of her in there."