The Health & Disability Commission has criticised a Christchurch rest home after finding that a dementia patient was not given a shower for a year.
A report by deputy commissioner Rae Lamb says the family of a dementia patient at Villa Gardens Home and Hospital complained that their mother had not been showered. Soiled clothing and uneaten food were discovered in her room.
Ms Lamb found that individual staff did not act quickly enough in referring the woman for reassessment and transfer to a specialist facility.
In a second report, she found that the care of a man who lost 8kg in six weeks was compromised by staffing and organisational difficulties.
Company has 'worked hard' to improve matters
In both reports, Ms Lamb found that the resthome's owner, Oceania Care Company, had breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights.
But it has since worked hard to improve matters, she says, reporting
back to the commission and complying with all the recommendations imposed.
Oceania Group chief executive Geoff Hipkins says the reports relate to incidents that happened over a year ago and significant changes have been made.
