Former care home nurse guilty of neglecting 87-year-old

A FORMER care home nurse has been found guilty and sentenced for the “wilful neglect” of an 87-year-old who has since died.

Catalina Ferchiu, 54, from Rugby has been given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to take 15 days rehabilitation requirement and do 240 hours unpaid work.

Ferchiu, who was a nurse at a care home in Rugby, was responsible for the care of Rachael Smith, 87, on the morning of February 2, 2018.

She checked up on her in the early hours of the morning and found she had been sick and had a bruise on her shoulder.

“Ferchiu failed to seek further medical attention or adequately check up on her for the rest of the night,” said Warwickshire Police.

Mrs Smith was taken to hospital where she died three weeks later.

The court heard there was no evidence to suggest the neglect shown by Ferchiu contributed to her death.

Police Staff Investigator Marcella Forrest said: “Ferchiu displayed an abject failure to provide basic care for Mrs Smith.

“Nobody deserves to be treated this way, especially someone as vulnerable as Mrs Smith.”

In a statement, Mrs Smith’s family said: “As a family, we are pleased with the outcome of the trial and verdict. After an emotional two-and-a-half years following the passing of our dear mother, Rachael Smith (nee White), we are relieved to have finally received justice.

“We would like this verdict to send a clear message to the care industry that wilful neglect against the elderly and vulnerable within our society cannot and should not be tolerated.

“Our mothers unexpected death will now be subject to a Coroner’s Inquest.”


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Written by

Tara Rippin

Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region.
She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990.
Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.
She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.

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