A CLEVEDON care home resident has had to put up with soiled bedding thanks to the home's "lack of proper care", family members have said.

Valerie Pointer has lived at Poets Mews Care Home for the last 16 months. The home, which is part of Avery Healthcare, can be found on Cherry Avenue.

Valerie's daughter, Heather Chambers, told the North Somerset Times that on multiple occasions family members have visited to find Valerie's bedding soiled and Valerie herself unwashed, despite a hygiene plan being put into place.

Heather also said that Valerie isn't receiving any proper sort of stimulation, and has been known to go to bed at 3pm due to a lack of anything else to do.

In an email sent across to the care home's manager, Heather said: "My sister Jenny was there a couple of weeks ago. The bed was soiled and there was a strong smell of urine. Jenny requested that this was sorted and the staff were very apologetic and quickly cleaned the bed etc and said it was a one-off.

"My son has visited in the last few days and again there is a very strong smell of urine. It was so strong that any time spent in the room was enough to make your eyes burn. I had thought maybe it was because she was putting her pads in a normal bin but my son says no. It is the bedding again."

Heather added: "We did not initially want to make any hasty decisions about moving her. We were concerned that despite the clear issues, a move to somewhere else would disrupt my mum further.

"The poor hygiene and care received in Poets meant her condition went downhill fast. Now we feel very trapped.

"We would like to leave her there from a continuity point of view, but none of the issues are ever resolved. The lack of proper care just seems to be embedded in Poets Mews. Starting with management and leadership.

"My mum pays £4,700 per month for the care. This is the basic payment and does not include extras."

Since speaking to the North Somerset Times, Heather and her family have secured a place for Valerie at Gorselands, a different assisted living home. She will make the move next week. Although reluctant to disrupt her, they feel that this is the best course of action for Valerie's wellbeing.

A spokesperson from Poets Mews said: “The well-being of our residents is our primary concern, and we are dedicated to providing the very best care and service where residents can enjoy the highest quality of life possible.”