Son raises alarm over sewage issue at care home after visiting mum

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

A man has raised concerns for his mother’s health as sewage is “backing up” at the council-run care home where she lives.

Matthew White claims he saw members of staff emptying buckets of water into a toilet due to a sink backing up at the Hafod Mawddach dementia unit in Barmouth, where he regularly visits his 81-year-old mum Erica.

Matthew, 53, claimed the issue had been ongoing for months and he had repeatedly tried contacting Cyngor Gwynedd about it.

Praise

Matthew, who is a carpenter, says he is full of praise for the staff who care for the residents “absolutely brilliantly.”

But he felt the council had failed to act to sort out the issues at the care home on Marine Road.

A council spokesperson said the issue was being investigated.

He said: “My mother is in the unit along with a number of other vulnerable dementia patients and this problem with the drains and sewage has been going on for several months.

“It is a new unit attached to the main home, hardly 12 months old, so you would think the council could have sorted it out by now”.

Matthew says he pays  around £1,500 a month towards his mum’s care to the council.

Maintenance

He added: “The staff are extremely lovely to the residents.  I feel sorry for them and the manager, they have tried their best to sort it out, they have had maintenance people out multiple times.

“It is not the staffs’ fault at all, the  problem has been bigger than they are capable of dealing with.

“They have enough on their hands caring for the residents which they do absolutely brilliantly.

“I couldn’t ask for my mum to be in a better place, she is really well looked after but this is her home and this problem needs to be sorted.

“I have rung the council  so many times but I  never get through to anyone and when I do leave a number no one  ever rings me back.

“I was worried for the health of my mum, and the other residents who are vulnerable, and for the staff too, it is not nice for them to  have to deal with it.

“The other day, I actually saw someone in the kitchen bucketing water into a toilet because the sink had backed up again”.

A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said the matter was being investigated.

“All Cyngor Gwynedd-run residential homes adhere to national standards and guidelines and are inspected regularly” they said.

“We would urge any residents or their families who have concerns about a home to raise them directly with the home manager or by contacting Cyngor Gwynedd on 01766 771000. We are looking into the concerns raised.”