So, someone fell out of the window...

[smartieplum]

Mum's care home had a relatives meeting today. We were told (In case we might read it in the papers^%!!) That a 90 year old dementia resident managed to unlock a window and fall out from the first floor. Honest to god, their attitude was to try and play it down. I was shocked and furious. The Care home manager's attitude was less than bothered. She got very snippy when I asked if all the other windows had been tested to see if they were safe. And, on top of that little nugget, staff cuts are happening. I'm so worried for mum. A call is going into the Care Inspectorate tomorrow. I'm livid.

 

[Jean1234]

OMG that is dreadfull. Of course all windows must surely have been check afterwards to make sure that it couldn’t happen again ? I don’t blame you for being worried for your Mum.

 

[Kevinl]

Sadly if you google it you'll find falls from care home windows happen more than you might think, one home was fined half a million pounds for letting it happen.
The home my wife's in has 2 steel cables either side of the window frame and a bar across the outside of the window so the opening is restricted to about 3 inches. A strong person might be able to rip the cables out, but I doubt I could, even if you did though the would still be blocked by the metal bar screwed to the outside of the brickwork.
I don't know if the home's manager was not bothered or had been told to keep their mouths shut, it's likely that both the home manager and the home owner will be prosecuted so it's a police matter now and the care inspectorate will already know, after the police they're the second people the home will have to contact.
K
Edited to add that if this is a privately owned home or a small group then the fine could close them down as the insurance is unlikely to pay out so you might be looking for a new home soon anyway.

 

[Grannie G]

I'm so worried for mum. A call is going into the Care Inspectorate tomorrow. I'm livid.

I'm sure it won't happen again especially now the Care inspectors have been called in.

It doesn't make the even any less terrible, and the attitude of the management was even worse. There's no way such a serious incident can be defended.

Actually it`s the attitude of the manager which upsets me just as much as the incident. If the manager isn't replaced I`d be inclined to look for a better home.

 

[LadyA]

Windows at my husband's nursing home were similar to what @Kevinl describes, and his block was on the ground floor! The drop from the window was about 2 1/2 feet. Nevertheless, the window only opened about three inches.

 

[love.dad.but..]

As has been said it's the manager's attitude that is upsetting and worrying. Ignore her snippiness...insist on getting an answer on all windows being tested urgently. If the manager doesn't seem bothered about how her attitude is perceived by relatives it makes you wonder what else in the home she isn't bothered about or see the seriousness of. The NH dad was in although a fairly new build only allowed the windows on both floors to be opened to 3 inches....I just assumed this was a care regulation to keep residents safe and if it isn't it should be!

 

[Sirena]

How terrible that was allowed to happen, and that the manager has such a poor attitude. Have you ever had other concerns about the home?

I would love to know how a resident managed to 'unlock' a window. My mother's care home only has small fanlight windows which can be opened - good for ventilation but barely big enough for a cat to get through. Bigger windows and doors are double glazed, and are locked and keys removed. Those keys are kept in a locked cupboard in the office, and the key to that cupboard is kept on a lanyard round a staff member's neck.

 

[looviloo]

Wow... that's dreadful. I'd be livid too. I would like to think that the manager's poor attitude stems from shock and worry, but unfortunately I can also believe that it doesn't.

Dad's care home has ties on the windows so they can only be opened a few inches, and he is on the ground floor! But another home I saw recently had large windows that opened out horizontally, and I couldn't see any safety catches despite being on the upper floors. It beggars belief, it really does...

 

[Kevinl]

Since I posted earlier today on this thread I've asked a care home manager what she thought would happen in these circumstances and she said that she'd immediately be suspended and sent home and a temporary management team would be put in by head office. She'd be forbidden from contacting anyone who had anything to do with the care home be it; staff, residents, visitors or anyone else and be sacked if she did.
She'd need to get legal representation as it's certainly going to go lead to an inquest as to the circumstances in a coroners court and probably there'd be a criminal prosecution for both her and the company.
She frankly didn't believe a manager would be allowed to stay in their position let alone address a meeting of visitors.
Absolutely you could not be in any way sorry or apologetic as that could be taken as an admission of guilt which might explain the manager's attitude in this case, anything said it has to be remembered could be used I court against you, so if she told the visitors how sorry she was a court could see that as an admission of guilt.
Her assumption is that this home is either privately owned or part of a small group as she said that in over 20 years in the business she'd never seen a story like yours when I showed it to her.
K

 

[smartieplum]

@Kevinl it's hard to believe but so true. I'm surprised it's not in the papers. Care manager should have been put on suspension, Im not sure why she isn't. The windows do have safety catches and should only open 3 inches. Maybe now they will get their fingers out and be more on the ball. So glad it wasn't my mum. Not sure if be able to contain myself.