A woman was fed dog food by care workers unable to read the label during her final months.
Portsmouth City Council has apologised for the incident, after carers employed by Radis, contracted to provide home care services for the authority, committed a ‘litany of errors’.
An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the woman’s care amounted to “significant personal injustice” as she was regularly left unattended for “prolonged periods of time” or without food.
The woman, known as Mrs Y, was receiving at-home support from GP Homecare Ltd, trading as Radis.
Following a fall in April 2024, she had restricted mobility and was bedbound, with carers attending her property each day, reports the Daily Star.
Her son flagged safeguarding worries regarding a “lack of management oversight at Radis”, claiming staff failed to check her care plan, visits weren’t recorded properly and a ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ form was found “scrunched up in a cupboard”.
The council launched a Section 42 safeguarding enquiry to examine the allegations, while Radis began its own internal probe.
View 3 ImagesIt was established that the care worker “fed three mouthfuls of microwaved dog food to Mrs Y”. (file photo)(Image: Grace Cary / Getty Images)
After Mrs Y experienced a mini-stroke, her family and Radis agreed she needed a “soft diet due to the increased risk of choking”.
Yet in mid-June 2024, a carer was discovered feeding the woman dog food, documented as a “lamb dinner”. Two care workers visited Mrs Y’s home, and a week later one raised concerns about witnessing the other “feed dog food” to Mrs Y.
The care worker “only realised the meat was dog food when they noticed the packaging in the kitchen”.
They initially attempted to reach a senior colleague to flag the incident, but their call went unanswered, leading them to report the matter face-to-face the following week.
They were then questioned by the senior manager, who challenged “why they did not remove the dog food” during the visit and “why they did not report the incident on the day it happened”, before instructing them to remove the dog food from Mrs Y’s freezer “to prevent any other care workers doing the same”.
It was later established that the care worker “fed three mouthfuls of microwaved dog food to Mrs Y”.
“This was vacuum packed dog food stored by Mrs Z in Mrs Y’s freezer. The food was labelled as “fresh take on dog food” and “for adult dogs and puppies”.”
Following discussions between Radis and the family, it was agreed that a new care provider would be sought.
However, in July 2024, Mrs Y’s family opted to delay the new provider’s start date due to a deterioration in her health, meaning Radis continued to deliver end-of-life care.
Mrs Y’s daughter alleged that “footage from Mrs Y’s home camera showed evidence of a care worker force feeding Mrs Y”.
View 3 ImagesThe food was labelled as “fresh take on dog food” and “for adult dogs and puppies”. (file photo)
Later that same month, Mrs Y passed away and it was determined she “died from frailty of old age”. Radis admitted failings in the care delivered following complaints from Mrs Y’s relatives, verified disciplinary measures taken against carers and issued an apology.
The council’s inquiry further revealed that Mrs Y was “left unattended for prolonged periods and on occasions left wet or in darkness overnight”.
The findings highlighted that staffing levels were “inconsistent”, with worries raised about workers’ “attitude, compassion and respectful communication”.
Additionally, there were “Allegations that staff falsified records and that some visits had not taken place despite being recorded”.
The ombudsman recommended the council apologise, reimburse the care charges, and provide a symbolic sum of £1,000 to the relatives to “recognise significant distress” and the “delays” in the safeguarding inquiry.
Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings in full and recognise the seriousness of what happened in this case. We ended our contract with Radis early and we no longer work with, or commission services from them.
“The care described in this report is not the standard anyone should expect, particularly at such a vulnerable time in someone’s life. We have apologised to the family and are very sorry for the distress they have experienced; we know this has been deeply upsetting for the family.”
He went on to say: “These events happened two years ago, and since then we have taken action to strengthen how we oversee care providers…Our adult social care services recently received a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, reflecting the wider positive experiences of residents, the strength of partnership working across the city, and the support available to help people remain independent.”
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