Care home accused of waking residents with loud music to save cash

Care workers at a private care home forced dementia sufferers out of bed as early as 5am and woke them by blasting loud radio music to save money, whistleblowers have alleged.

- Robert Booth

The management of Iceni House care home in Swaffham, Norfolk, received repeated complaints about the practice this summer, as concerned staff said residents were being treated as if they were "on a farm" in order to reduce the workload on daycare staff.

One alleged incident was reported in October after it was claimed screaming was heard before two agency care workers were found forcing a woman with dementia out of bed before 6am. Thomas Ryan, a whistleblower who managed the Norfolk care home at night, said he had run to the scene to find "the lady was screaming, lashing out".

He also alleged that day staff would turn up Alexa speakers in the corridors to play Kiss FM outside residents' rooms at 6.45am to wake them; that prescriptions for medicines such as anti-psychotics and antibiotics had on occasion not been collected for two weeks; and that incontinence pads were locked in a cupboard at night, leaving residents unclean.