A CARER allegedly 'bit and kicked' a dementia patient at North Yorkshire County Council's Limestone View Extra Care home in Settle, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

Sandra Lund, 54, told the woman to 'stop acting like a child' before kicking her once and biting her hand in an attempt to get her to release her painful grip, the court heard.

The assault, which was witnessed by another carer, allegedly caused the woman to scream, and left her with a bleeding cut on a finger of her right hand.

Lund, who denied assault by beating, and who was previously well thought of by her work colleagues, told the court she had neither bitten or kicked the resident.

She said the woman - described in court as suffering from advanced dementia and often violent both physically and verbally to staff - was difficult to handle and would grip the hands of her carers when they tried to move her.

On the evening of June 4 last year, Lund said she had been trying to help the woman, who was doubly incontinent, into her bathroom when in an attempt to release her grip, she had stumbled against her and caught her hand with a nail, causing a slight cut.

Her fellow carer, Elena Snepsta, said Lund had told the woman to 'stop acting like a child' before kicking her leg and biting her hand.

She said the woman had 'screamed a bit' and they had then continued to help her to the bathroom.

"She had blood on her finger, and she was trying to lick it off with her mouth, " said Ms Snepsta, who added Lund had then cleaned the wound with a cloth.

Ms Snepsta said she was upset by what had happened, had not wanted to say anything, but after thinking about it overnight, had told a work colleague before then reporting it to a senior manager.

The court heard that the woman had lived in a one bedroom flat at Limestone View, run by Housing and Care 21 since 2014, when it was first opened.

Karina Lewis, housing and care manager for Housing 21, said the woman, who was no longer at the home, suffered from advanced dementia and had high care needs.

She had frequently been violent to members of staff and Mrs Lewis had made requests for her to be moved to another facility.

Mrs Lewis said when she became aware of what had happened, some three days later the injury appeared like a 'scratch'.

There had been no mention of what had happened in the woman's notes, signed by both carers, or on a 'body map' used to record any injuries.

Lund, of Pendle View, Long Preston, had however reported the incident verbally to one of her line managers shortly afterwards who happened to be her daughter.

Mrs Lewis told the court her employees had a strict care policy in place that required all members of staff to report any incidents and that the injury should have been reported.

She added that at the time there was not a lot of dementia training for staff members and that 'every member of staff was struggling'.

The case will continue at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Tuesday.