Five-day power cut was Arnside care home's second outage

A private care home where residents had to be evacuated five days into a power cut also suffered a four-day outage in October, it has emerged.

Four were treated for hypothermia this week due to the lack of heat at Hollybank Care Home, in Arnside, Cumbria.

Families say they want measures taken to stop it from happening again.

Pearlcare, which runs the home, said it had kept in contact with relatives, which some family members dispute.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it was notified about the power outage on 13 October 2021 and residents were then left without heat and light for four days.

The latest power cut saw supplies at the home go off on 11 February.

Five days later, on Tuesday, four residents were treated for hypothermia and 15 residents were evacuated to temporary accommodation in Kendal.

The move happened after a senior manager from the company travelled from Wales to act on advice from Cumbria's social services and a local GP.

Sarah Comer's 83-year-old mother Sandra Lovesey, who has Alzheimer's, was among those moved.

Mrs Comer said her father was told about the power cut on Friday but she said she was shocked when she spotted head torches being used at the home when she walked past five days later.

She found her mother inside, wrapped in blankets with a torch next to her.

"I was so shocked - you wouldn't treat animals like that because it was so cold," she said.

"The Hollybank team were amazing but it's not acceptable for something like that.

"They should've been immediately moved or emergency heating brought in, I stayed throughout during the move to the new place."

Mrs Comer stayed with her mother and accompanied her to keep her calm during the journey to emergency temporary accommodation, which she said was stressful.

"I held her hand and after about 20 minutes in the ambulance, her eyes rolled and she just collapsed," she said.

"They had to stop the ambulance and lie her down and she wasn't responding at all. I actually said goodbye to her at that point," she added.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron is also calling for an inquiry.

"The CQC must do a full investigation now, it's important that we understand why it happened," he said.

Pearlcare said it was carrying out an internal investigation.

It added it had been a "really difficult time" for residents and staff "but all care and consideration had been taken for the residents".

A CQC spokesperson said it had been in contact with Mr Farron's office.

"Our priority, at all times, is the health and wellbeing of people living at the home, and we will continue to liaise with the council and provider to ensure that residents are safe and well looked after," a statement said.

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