"I was totally sickened with her being so rough," witness tells court (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Aggressive carer screamed at residents if they refused medication, jury told

6:40pm Wednesday 1st February 2012 in News By Barbara Jordan

AGGRESSIVE carer Jeanette Judge screamed at residents when they refused to go to bed or take their medication, Warrington Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Carer Julie Edwards who worked with her on nights, said: “She was very abrupt. I was totally sickened with her being so rough.

“She was very aggressive.

“I saw her frog marching a woman into her bedroom.”

She was appalled watching Judge kneel on one elderly lady and hold her hands down “with excessive force” when she refused eye drops.

She said: “We’re not there to restrain them, we’re there to look after them.

“These people have got dementia, they are frail. They don’t know what they are doing.

“Their families have entrusted us to look after them.

“Judge said to me no one will ever put in a complaint against me because my husband works in admin and he would find out and their life wouldn’t be worth living.

“I am sorry it took me so long to do something. I was frightened.”

Judge, married with two young children and a carer for 16 years, denied the abuse.

She told the jury: “I wouldn’t treat any resident like that. I’m a caring person. I love my residents and look after them.

“I wouldn’t treat anyone like that, even people I didn’t like.

“There are times when you can’t stick to policies, when you need to assess the situation you are dealing with, what’s best for the resident.”

Judge was suspended by the home’s former owners after the allegations and dismissed by the new management in December.

A spokesperson for Ferndale Mews Care Home said: “There can never be any excuse for the type of behaviour that occurred whilst the home was run by the previous operator.

“We welcome the court's verdict and would like to praise the staff who brought the allegations to light.

“The dignity, health and wellbeing of all the residents we support is our number one priority.

“We have further strengthened the safeguarding mechanisms in operation.

“What matters now is that we continue to work tirelessly to ensure that residents and families alike have confidence in the home meeting the standards and values which we all share.”