Woman fed dog food by care workers who ‘couldn’t read label’ before her death

The woman, referred to as Mrs Y, was given dog food by care workers contracted to deliver home care for Portsmouth City Council, with an ombudsman report finding the care amounted to a ‘significant personal injustice’ in the months before her death

A woman was fed dog food by care workers who were unable to read the label during the final months of her life.

Portsmouth City Council has issued an apology following the incident, after care workers employed by Radis, who were contracted to provide home care on behalf of the council, committed a ‘litany of errors’.

A report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the care the woman received amounted to a “significant personal injustice” as she was regularly left alone for “prolonged periods of time” or went without food.

The woman, referred to as Mrs Y, was receiving at-home care from GP Homecare Ltd, also known as Radis.

She had been left with limited mobility and was bedbound after suffering a fall in April 2024, with care workers attending her home on a daily basis, reports the Daily Star.

Mrs Y’s son raised safeguarding concerns regarding a “lack of management oversight at Radis”, claiming that staff failed to refer to her care plan, visits were not recorded properly and a ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ document was found “scrunched up in a cupboard”.

A Section 42 safeguarding enquiry was launched by the council to examine the concerns, while Radis commenced an internal investigation.

Mrs Y suffered a mini-stroke and it was agreed by her family and Radis that she needed a “soft diet due to the increased risk of choking”.

However, in mid-June 2024, a care worker was discovered giving the woman dog food, which had been logged 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 in person the following week.

They were subsequently questioned by the senior manager, who asked “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 being told 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 following 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”.

Later in July 2024, Mrs Y passed away and it was determined she “died from frailty of old age”. Radis admitted failings in the care provided following complaints raised by Mrs Y’s family, confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against the care workers involved, and issued an apology.

The council’s investigation further revealed that Mrs Y had been “left unattended for prolonged periods and on occasions left wet or in darkness overnight”.

The report highlighted that staffing levels were “inconsistent”, with concerns raised over 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 that the council issue a formal apology, reimburse the care fees, and make a symbolic payment of £1,000 to the family to “recognise significant distress” and the “delays” in the safeguarding investigation.

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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