POOR care contributed to the “undignified” death of a care home resident, an expert told a nurses’ misconduct hearing.

The elderly woman, referred to as Resident One, developed a grade four pressure ulcer – the most severe type – lost weight and became dehydrated due to shortcomings in her care at the Brithdir Nursing Home in New Tredegar during 2004.

Nursing expert Margaret Moody compiled reports on the care of several residents at Brithdir from that period.

The home was among six investigated by Gwent Police, this identified more than 100 potential victims of alleged neglect.

Mrs Moody told a conduct and competence committee hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Cardiff that failures to develop a care plan for Resident One when a pressure ulcer was suspected at the end of March 2004, along with the aforementioned shortcomings and poor record keeping had “a deleterious effect on her quality of life”.

Resident One’s health deteriorated to such an extent she was admitted to hospital on June 22, 2004, and spent several months there before she was discharged.

She died in July 2005.

Misconduct charges are being heard against six nurses in relation to the care of nine residents of Brithdir between April 2004 and March 2006.

They are: Susan Greening, who worked at the home initially as a registered nurse and then as its manager; Daphne Richards, nurse and later acting manager; Rachel Pritchard, clinical nurse manager and later nurse director; Rachel Tanta, nurse; Beverley Mock, nurse; and Tembazaki Moyana, mental health nurse.

Mrs Moody concluded that in relation to Resident One, Mrs Richards failed to deliver and ensure appropriate delivery of care from March 31 to June 22 2004“and that amounted to wilful negligence.” She also concluded Ms Moyana had demonstrated 'wilful neglect'.”