A care home is being investigated after an elderly man, who is virtually deaf and blind, fell down a laundry shaft.

William Leonard Condra, known as Len, was living at the Haslington Residential Home in Bean Road, Greenhithe.

Emergency services were called when the 92-year-old fell 14ft down a lift shaft, believed to be for transporting laundry between the floors.

His left leg was broken in several places, his ankle shattered, and he lacerated his legs on the cables during the fall.

The Second World War veteran was taken to King’s College Hospital in London after the fall on Friday, and on Saturday he underwent seven hours of surgery.

He had mild dementia but could always remember his granddaughter Katalina Chu, and his great-grandchildren Angel-Linh, 11, and Skylar, three. After the surgery, he does not know them at all.

Miss Chu, 32, fears his injuries are so severe, he may not walk again. She said: “He’s so confused. He’s on so much medication that he wakes up and forgets about the fall, and tries to get up but can’t.

“He doesn’t know me any more. He does hold my hand, I’m familiar to him, but he doesn’t know why. It’s heartbreaking.

“I don’t know how I’m holding it together at the moment. We are so close. Me and the kids would go to see him all the time.

“What quality of life will my grandfather have now if he gets out of hospital, virtually blind and deaf, with severe dementia, and unable to even walk any more? That’s no life for him.

“He served his country during the war, he was wounded in his back, and this is how he is looked after.”

The home is meant to provide 24-hour care and Mr Condra was only moved to the upper floor two weeks ago, because managers told Miss Chu there were more staff to cater for his needs. She said: “He was really happy up there. It was much brighter, which is nicer for him as he can barely see. He was like a new man.”

Mr Condra had falls in the past and staff said on those occasions it was out of his bed. Miss Chu says she asked for bumpers to be added. Now she is calling for answers.

"He served his country during the war, he was wounded in his back, and this is how he is looked after" - Mr Condra's granddaughter, Katalina Chu

She said: “I got a call from them at 9am on Friday. It was very casual. They said he’d had a fall. I assumed it was out of bed again so asked if he had the bumpers yet.

“They said ‘no, it was down a shaft’. I asked what kind of shaft and how far he had fallen, but she said she didn’t know.

“It was only when I got to King’s that they and the police were able to tell me he’d gone feet-first down a 14ft lift shaft.”

She said when she spoke to the home on Saturday she was told just two carers were on.

She said: “That’s not enough. My grandfather is meant to have 24-hour care. I don’t blame the carers – it’s not their fault they’re short-staffed, but the management need to face up to this. It makes me wonder about his other falls. How often do they check on him and all the other people there?”

Miss Chu was Mr Condra’s sole carer for a couple of years, but after having two children she could not manage and he was placed in a home.

Frances Maynard, manager of the home, declined to comment.

Deborah Ivanova, deputy chief inspector of adult social care for the Care Quality Commission’s south region, said: “CQC can confirm that it has recently been made aware of the recent event at Haslington Residential Home in Kent.

“We are currently working closely with local stakeholders. As a police investigation may take place, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

“Our priority will always be for the safety of people using health and social care services.”

Police confirmed they are investigating.

A Care Quality Commission inspection in June found the home requires improvement.

While staff were said to be caring, the safety, responsiveness and leadership of the home were all found to be below par.

The watchdog found shortfalls in the checks of new employees, which placed people at risk. Three had not had a Disclosure and Barring Service security check back, but could work while supervised, which did not always happen.

The records for one staff member highlighted some issues in references and a criminal record, but the manager did not conduct a risk assessment to explain the decision for hiring this individual. There was no formal tool in use for assessing staffing levels either, and the manager said she used her experience to understand the staff required.

At the time of the inspection there were some vacancies for care staff, and permanent staff were working overtime to cover.

Sometimes residents had to wait for a staff member to appear in the communal rooms to ask them for anything.