INSTRUCTIONS given to care assistants to give 24-hour one-to-one care to a dementia sufferer were not always documented, a court heard yesterday.

Interview transcripts from care assistants were read to jury members in the trial of seven people charged with wilful neglect and a doctor accused of making false representations.

Alan Sayers, 52, who suffered from frontal lobe dementia, was found dead in his room at Mountleigh Care Home, Newbridge, on September 27, 2004, at around 4am. Mr Sayers was supposed to be receiving 24-hour one-to-one care.

Newport crown court heard yesterday (OCT 29) how Mr Sayers had very limited communication skills and was not able to comprehend simple instructions.

Care home general manager Dawn Harris said Mr Sayers was put on 24-hour one-to-one care because he needed somebody with him at all times to ensure that he and others were safe.

She said documentation of Mr Sayers’ care was written on a rota and staff were given verbal instructions about the level of care he should receive.

She said she relied on the qualified nurse on duty to pass the information on to staff when she was not working.

Care manager Enda Evans told police she always checked that the trained nurse on duty understood that Mr Sayers needed 24-hour one-to-one care.

She said there was no documentation that stated staff were briefed but she said she was satisfied that verbal communication was sufficient and said it worked well.

Proceeding.

Home's staff and doctor deny all charges

Mountleigh Care Home general manager Dawn Harris, 52, of Raglan Mews, Newport and care manager Enda Evans, 56, of Glyn Derw, Caerphilly, are jointly charged with wilfully neglecting Alan Sayers between December 18, 2002 and September 28, 2004.

Care assistants Rosslyn Jenkins, 54, of Alexandra Place, Newbridge, and Michael Lurvey, 54, of Greenfield, Newbridge, qualified nurse Musediq Salisu, 47, of Viscount Evan Drive, Newport, and agency care assistants Margaret Lewis, 60, of Prospect Place, Cwmbran, and Chengeta Kaziboni, 34, of Cowbridge Road West, Cardiff, are jointly charged with wilfully neglecting Alan Sayers between September 25 and September 28 2004.

GP Sushma Ohja, 55, of Hillside Park, Bargoed, is charged with making false representations on Mr Sayers's death certificate and cremation certificate and also falsely obtaining £50.70 from Gwent Police by claiming she attended the home in her capacity as a police doctor.

The care home is now called Millview House and Lodge and is run by Southern Cross Care Homes.