BBC News
By Nelli Bird
image copyrightfamily photo
image captionJune Hamer lost three stone and had a serious pressure sore while at the care home, the inquest heard
A care home was so understaffed a woman felt forced to feed her mother and other residents, an inquest has heard.
Seven residents of the former Caerphilly home died after suffering alleged neglect, prompting an £11m police inquiry.
An inquest in Newport has heard the residents died between 2003 and 2005.
One, June Hamer, who lived at the Brithdir home in New Tredegar, died after being taken to hospital with a serious pressure sore.
But another report following a police investigation into the care he and others received at the home found it was likely that ulcers on his body “made a minor contribution to his death by their effects on his frailty”. Analysis of care plans put in place for Mr James, which showed he had developed a large number of sores from January 2002 and was at “high risk” of developing more, included instructions for care staff to turn him onto a different part of his body every two hours day and night to relieve his pain. But no notes indicting the progress of the plan were ever found, and only a handful of entries were made to his records by staff to show the repositioning had taken place and he was being placed on a pressure-relieving mattress.
Inquest into seven elderly patients who allegedly died of neglect has opened
Doctor Prana Das was accused of neglect and fraud following investigation
But the senior doctor died before he could be brought to justice
A spokesperson for Gwent Coroner s Office said the inquest - which is scheduled to last eight weeks will consider the nature of the care given to the deceased
The inquest will consider the nature of the care given to the deceased, the role played by the owners, managers and staff at the home and also the involvement of the local authority, the local health board and the (then) Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales (CSIW) in the management and running of the home. “Brithdir did not operate in isolation,” said Mr Williams. “Some residents were placed at Brithdir by the local authority and the local health board – at the time the Caerphilly Local Health Board.” Mr Williams also noted CSIW s responsibility for ensuring standards were adhered to in homes such as Brithdir.