Glasgow care home staff caught trying to cover up failings after OAP found dead in car park in Christmas tragedy
'COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE' Glasgow care home staff caught trying to cover up failings after OAP found dead in car park in Christmas tragedy
STAFF at a Glasgow care home were found to have tried to hide their failings amid an incident where an OAP with dementia died.
Hugh Kearins, 77, tragically lost his life on Boxing Day in 2022 after wandering from his room to the car park.
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High Kearins died at Chester Park Care Home in 2022
Credit: Google Maps
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The vulnerable OAP wandered through a fire door
Credit: Health and Safety Executive
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He managed to get from his room to the car park
Credit: Health and Safety Executive
The vulnerable pensioner had stayed at the Clyde Unit of the Chester Park Care Home in Glasgow's Kinning Park since 2012.
In the early hours of December 26 he managed to wander from his room and get out of an unsecured fire door around 1am.
Mr Kearins managed to walk 320 steps using a series of stairways and fire doors to make it to the care home's car park just off Lambhill Street, where he was found dead around 7am.
But a damning probe into the tragedy revealed several failings by staff at the facility, and even an effort to conceal their failings.
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HSE investigators were unable to find out who was the last person to use the door Mr Kearins used to exit the facility.
A member of staff discovered the door the door was open an hour after the OAP had gotten outside.
But despite staff being aware the door was found open, they never carried out a head count of the residents.
Mr Kearins' file extensively noted a clear risk he he may abscond or wander due to his condition.
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His care plan also said staff had to check on him every single hour to make sure he was safe.
The probe by the HSE made the shocking revelation that senior care assistant and a care assistant who had responsibility for Mr Kearins' care had falsified records.
Car bursts into flames in busy Glasgow street sparking rush hour chaos
They had said they performed vital tasks involving the OAP when he wasn't even in the building.
Both care workers weren't aware he wasn't in his room or he had made it outside.
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They had no idea the tragic pensioner had left the building until his body was found later in the morning.
The probe found the company had failed to have a safe system of work in place.
They also found the fire alarm for the internal fire door had been deactivated.
The probe also revealed a catalogue of failures at the facility.
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CATALOGUE OF FAILURES
The Health and Safety Executive found:
The management failures in respect of the alarm door reactivation were not causative of Mr Kearins' death and would likely not have even come to light but for four individual errors: The unidentified member of staff who closed the internal fire door without further action;
The fire alarm for the internal fire door which had been deactivated
The unidentified member of staff who left the unalarmed external fire door insecure; and
The actions of both the senior care assistant and the care assistant.
Oakminster Healthcare Limited pled guilty to Health and Safety offences at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
The firm was fined £53,750 on July 23.
A Health and Safety Inspector blasted the failings and said Mr Keavins' death was "completely avoidable".
HM Inspector Amna Shah said: 'This incident was completely avoidable.
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'It is hugely concerning that a vulnerable man was able to walk so far and through so many doors without being noticed.
'We counted he had walked more than 300 steps.
'The fact this incident happened at Christmas time makes it all the more tragic.
'We will always take action against those who fail in their responsibilities.'
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