West Sussex County Council has apologised and paid £300 to a 92-year-old woman after reducing her care package without consulting her.
The woman, known as Mrs B, complained to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman after the one-hour of home care she received each morning was cut to 45 minutes.
A report from the ombudsman said Mrs B did not find out about the change until one week after it was put in place and was ‘very upset and in tears about the reduction’.
The care package was set up in 2018 after Mrs B fractured her spine, and included 30 minutes of help in the evenings.
She was given help with her personal hygiene, getting dressed and undressed, the emptying of her commode and home safety.
She was also helped to walk up and down her hallway for exercise ‘as she was unable to do so safely without assistance’.
The report said that Mrs B was able to walk eight metres using her four-wheeled walker but was at high risk of falls.
When asked by a care agency manager why the time had been reduced, a social worker said that walking for exercise was ‘not an eligible care need’ and Mrs B would need to ask her GP for a referral for physiotherapy if ‘she felt strongly that she needed to walk’.
While the ombudsman had no say over the level of care received by Mrs B, the council was found to be at fault for the way it reduced that care package.
The report said:
“The council failed to properly consult with Mrs B or with the care agency that provided the care and failed to properly consider Mrs B’s needs.”
As well as apologising to Mrs B in writing and paying her £300 for the distressed caused, the council has agreed to carry out a review of her needs assessment and care plan, fully involving her and the care agency.
A council spokesman said:
“We accept the findings from the ombudsman’s report and have actioned the recommendations which include an apology to the complainant and a payment in compensation.
“We continue to work closely with care providers to ensure processes are in place that will improve the level of care received by customers.”
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