A city consumer forum has ordered an old age home to pay an amount as compensation for deficiency in services.
Following a complaint filed by J. Yoganandan of Guindy, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (north) comprising its president R. Mohandoss and member A. Dayalan decided that the complainant had established negligence and deficiency in service on the part of the old age home in not looking after the complainant’s mother properly.
In his complaint, Mr. Yoganandan said as he was living alone, he had been unable to look after his mother aged 87, who had undergone a surgery to correct a fracture. He had then decided to place her in an old age home.
On the assurance given by Ms. Rajalakshmi, founder-president of World of Smile, Home for Aged in Purasawalkam that his mother would be provided with all facilities and looked after in an excellent manner, he arranged for his mother to stay at the home.
On August 4, 2011, he paid the home a sum of Rs. 9,200. But on a subsequent visit on August 7, he found the home unhygienic and saw that his mother made to sleep in a room where more than 30 residents were kept like herds of cattle, he said.
Subsequently, his mother suffered from an infection and he took her to a nearby hospital on August 9, and after an examination there, he once again took her to the home. There, when he questioned the staff about their living conditions and care, the home refused to take in his mother again.
He then asked for a refund of the amount he had paid. But the home failed to refund the amount. Mr. Yoganandan then had to take his mother and place her in another home.
He had filed the complaint seeking redressal.
The home, represented by a counsel, had failed to file their version, hence it was set as ex parte.
Disposing of the complaint, the forum said, “Due to deficiency in service on the part of the home, the complainant had to take his mother to nearby hospital and thereafter he had to look for another home, definitely it would have caused severe mental agony to the complainant.”
The forum directed the home to refund the Rs. 9,200 with interest at the rate of 9 per cent from August 8, 2011 to date as a refund amount and also directed it to pay Rs. 12,000 as compensation and costs within six weeks.
