Carers were slammed today for making a sandwich out of mouldy bread for a frail pensioner’s lunch.
Rita Sinnix was appalled to hear that her elderly dad, 77, was given the rotten snack with the green and black mould ‘hidden’ by jam and butter.
He said it burned the back of his throat and later broke down and sobbed when he complained of other failings in his care.
Rita, 55, complained to social services officials who said they have now introduced a new ‘care package’ for her father in conjunction with Dawn to Dusk Community Care.
They had sent the carer to her father’s sheltered accomodation in Crayford, Kent.
She said: “A man who has cared and loved his family and worked his whole life shouldn’t be left to complain about a poor sandwich.
“He complained there was a burning at the back of his throat when he ate his sandwich.
“We never dreamed it would be the bread but when we looked we saw the loaf was off and green.
“This is care he pays over #300 a month for. It’s disgusting.
“I think of all those old people who rely solely on the care of these people because of they don’t have family around them – they haven’t got a hope for happiness.”
Rita, who does not want to identify her father, added: “We couldn’t believe he was being treated so badly.
“At Christmas he broke down and sobbed telling us that the care hadn’t been right.
“He had a favourite carer but she allowed another carer to serve him up the mouldy bread so she had to go.
“It really hurt Dad’s feelings because he trusted her and liked her.”
Rita said her father, a former papermill worker, was bipolar and suffers from depression and emphysema.
A carer goes to his home each day to wash him and make his lunch.
The grandfather-of-seven is still married but his wife is too unwell to care for him and they live apart.
Rita added: “My father is very independent and does not like people coming into his home.
“That is why we insisted only one carer at a time should visit him.
“The carers claimed they struggled to cope with the care of my father, but then they should have spoken to us and increased the care needed.”
Owner of Dawn to Dusk Dawn Mills yesterday (Weds) declined to comment, but said: “I cannot confirm anything – I suggest you talk to social services.”
A spokesman for Kent County Council adult services, which employs the services of Dawn to Dusk, said: “When we were informed about the family’s concerns about the care the gentleman was receiving we worked with them and the agency to resolve these issues.
“When the issues continued, we made the decision, with the family, to change the agency providing care to him.
“The family has confirmed the new care package is working well.”
They said: “We looked into whether other service users had suffered difficulties with this agency but no other problems had arisen.
“We monitor the standards of domiciliary care providers on a regular basis. High quality of care is our priority.”
