A FAMILY has reached a settlement with a care home over the treatment of a woman with dementia.

Ipswich-based Gotelee Solicitors launched a claim against County Care Homes for a breach of contract and/or negligence, injury and loss and damage on behalf of Karen Perrement.

The claim was made after Ms Perrement’s 75-year-old mother, Nell Perrement, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia 10 years ago, spent a fortnight at St Peter’s Residential Home in Bury St Edmunds, which is run by County Care Homes, just after Christmas 2009. Among the allegations listed in the county court claims documents were that Mrs Perrement was not provided with sufficient fluids and that staff failed to seek medical advice for Mrs Perrement’s deteriorating condition, failed to admit her to hospital and failed to take adequate care of her.

James Davies, associate solicitor at Gotelee, said he was pleased with the outcome of the claim, which was settled for £25,000.

He added: “As a firm we are extremely happy to have been able to obtain what we consider to be a reasonable settlement on behalf of Mrs Perrement.

“Though the case settled without an admission of liability from the care home, we were always confident that Mrs Perrement had a strong case that would have succeeded at trial and we consider the level of the compensation agreed reflects this.”

Ms Perrement, who lives in Thornhill Road, Claydon, collected her mother from St Peter’s on January 13, 2010.

Mother-of-three Ms Perrement sought legal advice after making a formal complaint to the Care Quality Commission about the treatment her mother received at St Peter’s.

Gareth Nixon-Moss, director of County Care Homes, said: “The home has been cleared of any neglect by all the professional authorities and this matter was treated as a nuisance claim to avoid legal fees without accepting liability whatsoever.”