Hospitalised mam’s £2500 care home bill sparks fury

Mar 27 2011 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

A FURIOUS son has criticised his mother’s care home after she was charged more than £2500 for her room while she was in hospital.

Terry Riley said his mother Sylvia, who suffers from dementia, spent five weeks in hospital because she had been passing out.

But he was shocked when bosses at Piper Court at Hardwick, Stockton, Teesside, still wanted the full amount of £528.49 a week while his mother was away.

The home is run by the crisis-hit Southern Cross Healthcare, which made a loss of £47m last year.

Management say they can’t afford rents and have begged for concessions from landlords.

Bosses at Piper Court said they wanted the money for Sylvia’s room even though she was not using it.

They also charged for food which was not provided to the 76-year-old widow. Now Terry has challenged the amount, claiming it is excessive for what little was provided.

He said: “It is disgraceful for them to charge so much when my mother was not resident at the home.

“I am really annoyed that they are prepared to make so much money from her when they are not providing care, or meals, or a bed.

“I would have been happy to pay something, perhaps £200 per week, but the amount they want is extremely high.

“They say they have to keep the room open for her and I agree I should pay something but not the full whack.”

Terry complained to the care home and was offered a small refund.

Support manager Jill Riddell offered a £30 a week refund on basic food costs as an ex-gratia payment. She drew attention to a clause in Margaret’s contract which said the normal weekly fee was still payable if the “service user” was admitted to hospital.

Terry said: “The care home said they were keen to help but a £30 per week refund is an insult.

“She was not even getting a slice of bread and butter from them.”

Margaret has been in the care home for 15 months following the death of her husband Eddy – a former steel erector – two years ago from asbestosis.

Tim Kent, area manager for Southern Cross Healthcare, confirmed Sylvia had to pay.

He said: “We can confirm that, following a five-week stay in hospital, Mrs Sylvia Riley, the mother of Terry Riley, has returned to our Piper Court Care Home in Stockton.

“Mrs Riley was charged for her room throughout her hospital stay in accordance with the terms of her contract. However, we offered her son Terry Riley a discretionary discount on the fees to reflect our appreciation that this must have been a stressful and upsetting time for them.

“The care and well-being of residents in our homes is always our upmost priority and we will continue to provide Mrs Riley with the specialist care that she requires.”

Sylvia’s case is against a background of uncertainty for residents at the company’s homes.

They have 80 homes in the North East and 750 nationally.

Chief executive Jamie Buchan said the company was going to breach loan agreements with its bankers and was seeking urgent talks with landlords as its rent bill was “unsustainable”.

He said: “I believe it is in the interests of landlords to reach an equitable solution with us to help stabilise our business and create the conditions for new investment in our homes.”