AN elderly woman, discharged from hospital three weeks ago has hit out at social services bosses who, she claims, have provided assistance too little, too late.

Sheila Beaumont-Best, 87, of Ipplepen, spent more than a month in Bovey Tracey and Newton Abbot hospitals, suffering from a severe bowel infection.

Despite recommendations of a residential home, Mrs Beaumont-Best insisted on returning home, but has 'gone through hell', because of delayed provision by social services.

Mrs Beaumont-Best said: 'During the second week I was in hospital, they knew I was going home, and the only way I could go home was if there was help when I returned.

'But there has been no assessment of my home which should have been done. I have a murderous landing and staircase even at the best of times. I need a rail to help me get around, but that has still not been fitted, so I have been confined to the upstairs.'

For the past three weeks, Mrs Beaumont-Best has had to throw a key from a second floor window to home care staff to allow them in.

Only recently has an external safe key box been fitted to the property.

Mrs Beaumont-Best said: 'Because the key box had not been fitted, the helpers have had to ring my back doorbell and I have had to get out of bed and throw the keys down.

'But if they are not given the instructions, they have to go to my neighbour to get to me.

'It has been chaos.'

Home care staff visit twice a day, but Mrs Beaumont-Best maintains that on three occasions, she has had to telephone an emergency number because no-one has arrived.

'There is a lack of organisation and I am at the end of my tether,

'I am able to cope because I am compos mentis, but what of those who are not?' she said.

A spokesman for Devon Social Services said: 'We aim to provide the best service possible to give to our clients, sometimes under difficult and unusual circumstances.

'Usually with home visits, a safe key box is fitted to allow home care staff entry to the home, but Sheila rents her home and only this week have we received permission from the landlord for a key box to be fitted. In the meantime, we have been relying on Sheila to let our staff in.

'Having visited Sheila at home, we can see that her living conditions are not ideal, which is why we are pressing for a home risk assessment to be done by an occupational therapist.

'We would like Sheila to recuperate as quickly as possible, and though circumstances have made provision of home care to date more difficult than usual, we are doing our best to ensure that she is receiving, and will continue to receive, excellent quality care.'