Council agrees to waive care home fees after resident put at risk of choking

Nottingham City Council has agreed to waive the care home fees of an elderly resident after he was put at risk of choking when given the wrong medication.

The move follows an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) after a complaint by the resident’s son.

The LGO said: “There was an incident on December 7, 2016, where Mr M ‘almost choked to death as a consequence of poor care’.”

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Following the incident, the man’s son asked the council to be move into a different care home.

During his stay in the care home a speech and language therapist observed that he had been given the wrong thickeners and reported this to a social worker who raised a safeguarding alert.

The man’s son complained that the council’s monitoring of his father’s care had been inadequate.

The council accepted that the man, who passed away in April 2018, had been given the wrong thickeners, placing him at risk of harm.

In making its ruling the Ombudsman concluded: “There was fault when Mr M was put at risk of choking, causing distress to Mr M and his son. The council’s offer to waive some fees is sufficient to remedy this injustice.”

A spokesman for Nottingham City Council said: “We accept the findings of the Ombudsman in this case and are pleased that a resolution was found.”