A WOMAN claims care for her mother "declined rapidly" at an Isle of Wight nursing home.

Margaret Halliday, a resident at Blackwater Mill Residential Home from December 2018 until September 2019, went in with dementia, mobility issues and was incontinent, due to previous bowel surgery.

The family's concerns pre-date the CQC report.

Karen Halliday said her mother's initial care was adequate, but claims it deteriorated swiftly — witnessed also by her sister, Michelle Halliday, and her nephew, James Halliday.

Blackwater Mill Residential Care Home, near Newport.  (Image: County Press) "On numerous occasions, we arrived to find mum sitting in her chair in a terrible mess, having had an accident," said Karen.

"The staff did not seem to check residents regularly. When they did clean mum, it was never enough and we would have to continue to get mum clean and comfortable."

Karen also said her 91-year-old mother, a vegetarian for almost half her life, was served a meat stew, and her toiletries and clothes frequently went missing.

Two weeks ago, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its damning findings following an inspection made at Blackwater Mill earlier this year. Click here to read.

Failings reported by the CQC has led to the home being put in special measures.

Since then, the County Press has been speaking to those affected, from relatives of residents, to former staff members, in a special investigation.

They said they visited the care home one morning and found Margaret in "soiled night clothes, with a piece of bread and marmalade and a cup of water".

During one meal time, an unsupervised resident was allowed to take food from Margaret's plate, her daughter said. 

On another occasion, her daughter found Margaret — always known for being a happy person — crying, saying she got told off for thinking someone made a mess in her room.

Read more: Isle of Wight care home put residents at risk of harm says CQC

Karen didn't feel the staff knew how to deal with dementia patients.

In September 2019, the family received a call saying Margaret suffered a fall and was taken to St Mary's Hospital, where she was treated for a broken hip and a ruptured hernia.

Margaret died two months later.