Watchdog raised security fears in care home where grandmother was murdered
By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
A South London care home where a resident killed a grandmother was criticised by a watchdog over safety fears earlier this year.
Inspectors found Fieldside Care Home in Catford failed to record dangers during an inspection on January 26.
Weeks earlier on January 3, resident Alexander Rawson, 63, beat 93-year-old Eileen Dean to death with a walking stick in her bedroom at the nursing home.
A CQC report published on April 20 downgraded the care home from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement.’
The report said: “People were not always safe. The provider had not ensured risks to people were always documented and mitigated.
“Risk assessments and care plans contained conflicting information which could potentially lead to people being exposed to harm.”
Inspectors swooped on the care home after the murder of grandmother-of-five, Mrs Dean, on January 3 triggered alarm about patient safety.
Specific concerns were raised to the watchdog about the home’s “risk management processes.”
The CQC widened its investigation into the nursing home to look at general safety and management and found Fieldside Care Home to require improvement in both areas.
Inspectors said some patients faced being abandoned in an emergency.
The CQC report said: “Several plans we reviewed stated people would need support of one staff to remain in their room in the event of an emergency.
“The staffing levels of two staff during the night would make this level of support impossible.”
Inspectors concluded: “The provider did not do all that was practicable to ensure that care and treatment was provided in a safe way as risks to people were not always identified and mitigated.
“The provider failed to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service effectively. The provider had failed to ensure people received a consistently safe service.”
At the time of the report’s publication, 34 elderly people were being looked after at Fieldside Care Home.
Grandmother-of-five, Mrs Dean, suffered multiple broken bones and traumatic brain injury in the attack on January 3 and died in hospital.
Rawson on December 20 was locked up in a hospital indefinitely for killing Mrs Dean.
The 63-year-old suffers from a degenerative brain illness and was found unfit to stand trial for murder.
Fieldside Care Home has been contacted for comment.