Rest homes rebuked over fatally infected wounds

Three rest homes and some of their staff have been rebuked by the Health and Disability Commission after elderly residents' wounds became so infected that two of them died.

In one case a 92-year-old woman died after developing necrotising fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating bacteria, in her leg.

A hospital surgeon decided surgery was inappropriate because she would be "extremely unlikely to survive". She died the next day.

"In my view, the inaction and failure to follow policies and meet contractual requirements by so many staff, over many months, is unacceptable," said deputy health and disability commissioner Rae Lamb.

In another case an 85-year-old man died after developing pressure ulcers on both hips. One of the ulcers had necrotic tissue.

His daughter complained and a wound-care specialist was called in. When the specialist swabbed the wound on his right hip, which had been there for a year, most of the swab went in and hit bone.

The dead tissue was surgically removed but he died a few weeks later of sepsis, chest infection and infected hip ulcers.

In a third case, an 82-year-old woman lost about 10kg and developed a necrotic bed sore over six weeks in 2005.

She needed to have the dead tissue surgically removed.

The names of the rest homes, staff and patients, from around the country, have not been made public.

Ms Lamb ruled that in each case the rest homes had breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights and care managers and one family doctor breached the code.

In two cases Ms Lamb identified transition problems when rest home ownership changed.

Taking on a rest home was not like any other business, it came with vulnerable residents for whom the facility was home, she said.

Ms Lamb recommended the homes and a some staff members take steps to improve their practice and report back to the commission.

- NZPA