Little Oyster: Woman blames brother's death on care home failings

The family of a vulnerable man with learning disabilities and a muscle-wasting disease have claimed he would still be alive if he had received better care at a Kent residential home.

Terry Raymond, 41, who died in hospital in February, lived at Little Oyster Care Home on Sheppey for five months.

His sister Tarnia Harrison said the family had concerns from day one.

A spokesman for the home, which is in special measures, said an investigation found no suggestion of abuse.

Ms Harrison said her brother died in hospital after he suffered a fall at the home.

She said the family went to the hospital to see him, then staff "put him in a side room with us and took his oxygen mask off, so we got to sit with him while he slipped away".

She said she had been shocked to read a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report that found serious failings at the home, adding: "It was my worst fears of what was happening with him, what was happening with other people confirmed in black and white.

"He would still be here now, if he wasn't at that Little Oyster."

Sefton Kwasnik, solicitor for the family, said: "All the family want is honest answers and the truth to emerge in respect of what happened to Terry, who had two seemingly unwitnessed falls in February of this year.

"A few months later the home has been placed into some kind of special measures as a result of concerns raised, as I understand it, from staff members who may actually still have been present or were working for the home at the time of Terry's death."

A statement from the Minster home said: "As is normal practice his death was referred to the safeguarding team at Kent County Council at the time and it concluded its investigation in February.

"We were informed that there is no suggestion in the referral of any abusive act contributing to his falls or neglect or omission in care, thus no further action is being taken via safeguarding and the referral is closed."

The care home said it had already acted on some of the shortcomings identified in the CQC report and all staff had undertaken safeguarding training.

An inquest into Mr Raymond's death has been opened and adjourned.

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