A horrified granddaughter says her final memory of her nan has been tainted after the 105-year-old was left dead in a care home bed for 18 hours.

Cheryl Brittain has hit out at Herne Place in Herne Bay, where the body of Edith Brittain remained for almost a day as staff struggled to have her death certified.

It meant the early stages of decomposition had already set in, depriving Cheryl of one last moment with her beloved grandmother before she was taken away by undertakers.

“The smell has stuck with me and is my last memory,” she said.

“It was meant to be the time I said goodbye to her, but I couldn’t get in the room because of how much it smelled. I was heaving.”

Edith, who was a keen seamstress and animal lover, had died holding Cheryl’s hand at 8pm on January 7 this year.

When she returned to the room at 11pm, her nan was still lying on the bed as her death had not yet been certified.

“A staff member told me they had phoned 111 but they were waiting for them to get back, so I asked them to phone again,” said the 46-year-old.

“I told her ‘my nan has been dead for three hours and I want to be here when the undertakers take her’.

“She told me to go home and she would phone me when they arrived.”

When Cheryl woke the following morning she had received no contact from the care home, so called to ask what time her grandmother’s body had been collected.

“When they said she was still there I hit the roof,” said Cheryl, who is a carer herself with 23 years’ experience.

“It was because when they phoned 111, they were automatically transferred to a London-based doctor.

“I asked them why they didn’t phone the district nurse as they can certify the death, and they said they didn’t know they could.

“That is why my nan lay deceased in her bed for 18 hours.”

Cheryl says, from her own experience, it usually takes up to two hours, and sometimes three, to certify a death.

“On a weekend you phone 111 for an out-of-hours doctor and, when they have availability, they certify the death,” she explained.

“On weekdays, during the day, you phone the doctors to arrange for a doctor or nurse to certify the death.”

Edith’s death was eventually certified by a local doctor at 1pm on January 8 - 17 hours after she had died.

Cheryl was alerted and went to the room to have one final moment with her grandmother, but was unable to because of the odour that had developed.

She claims the heating had been left on overnight, with the window closed.

“When I walked in there, the smell hit me in the face,” she said.

“It was absolutely disgusting.”

Edith’s body was eventually collected at 2pm by the undertakers.

Cheryl reported her concerns, among other grievances, to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which inspected the home just five days later.

A report from the government watchdog later revealed the home had been downgraded from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’.

Cheryl says the ordeal has had a lasting impact on her mentally, revealing how she has suffered sleepless nights since her grandmother’s death.

“I had to get sleeping tablets, which I’ve never been on in my life,” she said.

“I could not sleep, I wasn’t hungry - I couldn’t even cry. That is how much it has affected me.”

During the CQC visit on January 12, inspectors discovered - among a number of issues - that there was no registered manager in post at the home, in breach of safety guidelines.

A spokesman for Barchester Healthcare, which runs Herne Place, told KentOnline this week that staff at the home are “focused on delivering quality care”.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our utmost priority and we take any concerns very seriously,” they said.

“We respect the privacy of our residents in all matters and therefore cannot comment on specific issues.

“However, we feel it is important to make clear that we have previously thoroughly investigated this case and shared our response in full with the family.

“In line with our customer feedback policy, we are carrying out a further independent investigation at present.

“The loss of a resident and a loved one is deeply upsetting and we continue to extend our sympathies to the family and will continue to liaise with them about the concerns raised.”

Former University of Kent cook Edith, who was born in 1917, moved to Herne Bay from London in the 1950s.

At 105, she was one of Kent’s – and even Britain’s – oldest residents.

Kent County Council, which oversees social care across the region, has told Cheryl to make a formal complaint about the issues that followed her death so it can formally investigate her concerns.

“I can confirm no complaint has been received prior to your contact,” a spokesman told our reporter.

“But we understand the death of a close relative is a difficult time and will of course look into the concerns raised.”