‘Nurse’ leaves care of bedridden mother, daughter wins Rs 24,000 from agency

“The very object of engaging a home nursing agency is to ensure uninterrupted care to patients who are incapable of attending to themselves. The patient involved in the present case was an aged bedridden woman requiring continuous assistance. Failure to provide replacement nursing service after accepting consideration amounts to a serious lapse in service,” the August 6 order read. 

Bedridden mother left unattended

The woman, one Sindhu Paul, claimed that she is employed and unable to personally look after her ageing mother, who is bedridden, and her mother had been residing at an old age home from August 2024 onwards. According to her, she approached the home nursing agency to provide the services of a home nurse to attend to her bedridden mother, and they deputed a home nurse on a monthly remuneration of Rs 20,000 for a period of 28 days at a time.

She added that she had been regularly paying the agreed charges to the nursing agency. However, during the sixth month of service, the home nurse abruptly discontinued her duties in February 2025 without prior notice or intimation. Consequently, Paul alleged that her bedridden mother was left unattended, causing serious hardship.

She further added that although the complainant repeatedly contacted the agency requesting immediate replacement of the nurse, they merely assured that another person would be sent shortly. However, no substitute nurse was ever provided. Paul added that an amount of Rs 4,000 remained refundable from the agency towards the unavailed period of service. 

Despite repeated requests, she claimed, the agency neither refunded the balance amount nor responded positively. Instead, she was allegedly subjected to rude and humiliating behaviour. 

‘Immense anxiety’

Noting that the complainant engaged the services of the agency for providing a qualified home nurse to attend her aged bedridden mother, the commission found that the home nurse deputed by the said agency discontinued her service without prior notice in February 2025. 

Noting that the nursing agency neither entered appearance nor filed any version contesting the allegations, and the matter went ex parte, the commission said, “The opposite party failed to provide a substitute nurse despite repeated requests made by the complainant”. 

The commission said that, apart from the monetary loss, the complainant has also established that she had to undergo considerable mental agony and hardship. “The sudden discontinuance of nursing service left her bedridden mother unattended, causing immense anxiety and inconvenience,” it added. 

Considering the nature of the deficiency, the inconvenience suffered by the complainant, the commission directed the agency to refund to the complainant the balance amount of Rs 4,000. It also directed the agency to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation to the complainant for the deficiency in service and mental agony suffered by her, and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs within 45 days.

Takeaway 

This ruling highlights that a home nursing agency cannot simply stop providing care to a bedridden patient after accepting payment. If the nurse stops attending, the agency is responsible for arranging a replacement to ensure that the patient continues to receive the care promised. 

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Kerala: 1800-425-1550) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

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