Boss saw dementia as funny says carer

A manager at a care home asked a colleague to film a dementia patient on her mobile phone because she thought it was amusing, a disciplinary hearing was told.

Karen Leadbeater, of Cannock, suggested that care assistant Katie Fletcher capture the elderly woman, known as Patient A, during an outburst of shouting and screaming, it was claimed. Leadbeater was managing the Clarendon unit at Parklands Court Nursing Home in Bloxwich, Walsall, in December 2005, the Nursing and Midwifery Council was told.

Leadbeater also mimicked and insulted other staff and managers and branded one the Hunchback of Notre Dame, it was alleged.

The 38-year-old, who denies the accusations, faces being struck off if found guilty.

Giving evidence, Ms Flet-cher said: "We were in the lounge and there was a resident in there. She was screaming and shouting, getting a bit delirious, like she usually did, as it's part of her condition.

"Karen said it would be funny to record her and put it on my screensaver.

"I said I couldn't do that, I would lose my job. Karen just laughed."

Leadbeater is also accused of allowing staff to lift patients with mobility problems manually, without hoists, at the Bupa-run home.

The nurse is further accused of offering excess paracetamol tablets to Ms Fletcher and storing medication in another care assistant's car prior to a home inspection in January 2006.

She admits inappropriately storing drugs, but denies she offered excess medication to staff, telling staff it was acceptable not to use the hoist to lift patients and asking Katie Fletcher to make a film of Resident A.

She also denies speaking inappropriately to junior staff, making inappropriate remarks about managers and that her fitness to practice as a nurse is impaired.

All incidents are said to have taken place between April 2004 and September 2006.

Leadbeater is not attending the hearing and is not represented. The hearing continues.