THE shocking extent of the neglect suffered by pensioners living in a Hampshire nursing home has been laid bare following the death of a former resident.

Distressed and vulnerable people were heard screaming and shouting out for help while one elderly woman was found lying in her own faeces.

Equipment was dirty, there were not enough staff, there was no comfort given and it simply was not safe.

Daily Echo:

The disturbing state of affairs at Moorwood Cottage in Chandler’s Ford, before it was shut down by its owners after a series of damning inspections, was revealed at an inquest into the death of one of its former residents.

Grandmother of four Cynthia Crossley had moved in to the home – run by Orchard Homes – in October 2013 after being discharged from Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital following a fall.

The inquest heard that during an unannounced inspection in April last year, ordered by Hampshire County Council’s adult services, the 85-year-old was found dehydrated and in pain after nurses did not give her medication.

Giving evidence, Joanne Cresswell, senior practitioner and social worker for adult services based in Eastleigh, told how she had been very concerned.

She said: “During that visit a number of safeguarding concerns were raised.

“I was actually in another room at the time when I heard her screaming and shouting for help.”

She told the hearing how Mrs Crossley was uncomfortable, in poor condition and was not properly looked after.

The inquest heard how when Miss Cresswell asked the senior nurse why Mrs Crossley was in so much pain she was told it was ‘because she didn’t take her medication’ – however documentation showed that she had.

Miss Cresswell added that at the time of the investigation there was only one full-time staff member at the 35-bed Moorwood Cottage and the rest were agency workers, which she believed to be “largely the cause of the problem”.

Coroner Grahame Short also heard evidence from Mrs Crossley’s daughter, Dianne Harvey, who described how she had raised the alarm – but it fell on deaf ears.

She said her complaints about the treatment her mother was receiving and the care standards at the home were repeatedly ignored and it took her a month to ‘pluck up the courage’ to phone social services.

Mrs Harvey said: “She just wasn’t my mother.

“I tried and tried. One morning I found a little old lady lying in a pool of faeces and the nurse said ‘oh, she’s always like that’. “My complaints were always ignored.”

The inquest heard that Mrs Crossley was moved to Fleming House in Eastleigh on May 6 last year, and her condition improved.

She died on October 28, two days after her birthday, of natural causes.

The inquest heard how in the same month the home, in Valley Road, was shut in following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) probe into the standards of care, which found it was unsafe, badly led and unresponsive to people’s needs.

Senior coroner for central Hampshire Grahame Short said the neglect at Moorwood House was not linked to her death.

“The evidence is very clear that the care she received there was inadequate and I do think she suffered neglect in her personal needs and medication requirements,” he said.

“Having said that, after she moved to Fleming House her condition improved. She was clearly a very ill lady.”

Orchard Homes did not respond to our request for a comment.