Care home manager tormented Alzheimer’s patients by throwing medication in bin

Susan McIntosh deliberately binned pills and tablets belonging to 13 pensioners.

A cruel care home manager tormented elderly Alzheimer’s patients by refusing to give them their medicine and instead threw pills in the bin.

Susan McIntosh deliberately binned pills and tablets belonging to 13 pensioners, before signing them off as ‘administered’ – because she couldn’t be bothered to do the paperwork.

The 53-year-old was head of care at the Chippendayle Lodge Residential Care Home when 13 counts of ill-treatment took place.

She was only caught when a fellow worker discovered a sealed bag of medication inside a bin in November 2017.

Maidstone Magistrates Court heard on Friday how Mcintosh was responsible for 40 residents in Harrietsham, Kent.

After colleagues became suspicious, they found more tablets, all of which had been logged in the system as ‘taken’.

Prosecutor Mark Kateley said it was ‘only good fortune’ that none of the residents had suffered any lasting harm as a result of McIntosh’s actions.

Hugh Roberts, defending McIntosh, claimed that residents would refuse medicine or slept while it was administered.

He said the carer accepted responsibility for administering medication, but refused that she had done it to cover up the fact it had not been taken.

Mr Roberts added his client had been working ‘long hours’ and had been dealing with the stress of her boyfriend’s brain cancer.

He said: ‘She got herself into a pickle. She didn’t set out to harm anyone. The issue is that she failed to complete the paperwork.’

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McIntosh had pleaded guilty to all 13 charges of wilful neglect at an earlier hearing and is no longer employed at the care home.

Magistrate Sheila Potipher told McIntosh: ‘This is a very serious matter – fortunately, no-one was harmed.

‘We understand that you were under a great deal of stress, but nevertheless we feel this is an offence that warrants a custodial sentence, which we are going to suspend.’

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McIntosh, of Throwley Fostal, Kent, was sentenced to 120 days in custody for each offence, to run concurrently, suspended for 18 months.

She was also given a community service order with two requirements: that she attend up to 30 sessions of rehabilitation activities, to be arranged by the probation service, and that she complete 80 hours of unpaid community work.

She was also told to pay £85 costs and £115 victim surcharge, within 28 days.