An elderly woman fell from her bed and injured her head at a city care home because a healthcare assistant was not doing her job, a jury was told. Doris Obi, aged 33, neglected the 87-year-old dementia patient when she was supposed to be watching her at night, a court heard. The woman has since passed away, the jury was told. Obi was employed by an agency to give the pensioner one-to-one care during the night of the accident, Plymouth Crown Court heard. Heather Hope, opening the case for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “In all likelihood she was either not paying attention, had fallen asleep or was simply not monitoring the woman as she was employed to do. “The prosecution say this was not just a very sad accident, this was someone not doing their job properly. She was there to provide one-to-one care, she had to be awake and alert. “The prosecution say that she has wilfully neglected (woman’s name).” She added that the woman was left with a flap of skin hanging from her forehead over her eye. Miss Hope said she was treated with sutures and was able to return to the care home. She has since passed away. Obi, of Exeter Street, is on trial after she pleaded not guilty to ill-treating or wilfully neglecting a person lacking mental capacity in her care between August 29 and September 1 last year.
…
