Care Home Staff Jailed for Abusing Vulnerable Residents

Hey, so I read this awful news story. It was about abuse at a care home that shut down. This happened between October and December 2019. Six female dementia patients suffered. One male resident did too.

Helen Burridge and Amy Dickinson ill-treated residents. The court found them guilty after a long trial. They used awful language toward the residents and even physically abused some of them.

Dickinson didn’t give medicine to two patients, and the pair tried to force-feed a resident. A person reported their behavior, which triggered an investigation. They also locked another resident in their room.

Burridge called one woman a “greedy cow” and left her on the floor after knocking her down. Dickinson gave the same woman too much alcohol and even called that woman an idiot.

Dickinson told another woman her husband was dead and that he would not come get her; plus, she said, “You stink.” Dickinson also threw items at a woman’s head, using pillows and even exercise balls, calling it “the pillow game.”

Burridge was guilty of ill-treatment towards four women. Dickinson was guilty of seven crimes against six women and one man. Their actions damaged public trust in care homes.

Family members shared how the abuse hurt them. One husband said he has awful images in his mind and worries about his wife, even in her new care home. He feels his trust is broken.

A daughter said she cannot understand the abuse, stating her mom should have had help eating. The daughter called the abuse “nasty and evil” and is glad the care home closed.

Another daughter said her mom was kind and they hoped the care home would feel like a home. She feels guilty for trusting the home. Thankfully, her mom found a good new home, but the daughter feels heartbroken by the abuse.

The judge said they broke the trust others placed in them and called it a culture of ill-treatment. Burridge set the standard for Dickinson. They took away the dignity of the residents, and their actions risked damage to the care industry.

Burridge’s lawyer said she lost her job and reputation and mentioned the pressure on care homes like these. He also said she didn’t break any rules about medicine.

Dickinson’s lawyer mentioned her medical issues and said she is a low risk to offend again. He asked the judge for a suspended sentence.