Leeds woman left stranded in bed by home carers

The family of a 77-year-old woman from Leeds have criticised her carers for regularly not turning up to her house and leaving her stranded in bed.

Joyce Cooper, who lives in Armley, suffered a stroke while on holiday last August which has left her unable to walk. Leeds City Council set up a regular care package through private firm Reed Community Care which was supposed to provide her with two carers coming to her home four times a day. She needed two as a hoist was needed to get her in and out of bed or onto the toilet.

However, her family say that they have had to intervene almost every day because only one person has turned up and twice she has been left in her bed as nobody has come from the care firm.

A spokeswoman for Reed Community Care, said that an investigation was to be launched into the case and added: “We are sorry that there have been problems in the provision of care to Mrs Cooper and the impact that this has had on her.” The council said that they were monitoring the care that Mrs Cooper was receiving, adding that all private sector providers used by the council were independently regulated and were subjected to a stringent tendering process.