A Hawke's Bay rest home breached the health code when they failed to provide appropriate care for a woman with a deteriorating skin condition who later died in hospital, the deputy health and disability commissioner has found.
The then 77-year-old woman had a type of lymphoma which begins as itchy, scaly patches on the skin and eventually tumours. She also had lung cancer.
Requiring hospital-level rest home care, she moved into Gracelands Lifestyle Care and Village in Hastings, owned by Oceania Care Company Ltd.
The woman's skin condition began to get worse and she experienced increasing pain. She had a pain care plan, but it was not updated in response to her changing condition.
The woman's GP was notified about the increased pain a few days later, and that afternoon her pain management plan was amended.