Our gran died from loneliness and a broken heart
Family say being kept apart at care home caused Anne anguish
A HEARTBROKEN mum claims her gran died from “loneliness and a broken heart” after being isolated at a care home. Michelle Nangle believes separation during lockdown became too much for Anne Botterill, who passed away on Saturday at Lower Johnshill Care Home in Lanarkshire. The beloved granny, who suffered from vascular dementia, became “incredibly stressed” trying to communicate with family in Scotland and the US on Zoom. Anne, 83, couldn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed to hug or even hold hands during short outdoor visits. Now grief-stricken Michelle said the family are “devastated” after watching her deteriorate since March. Michelle, from Salsburgh, Lanarkshire, said: “Before Covid, we saw her every day. She lived with my mum and across the road from me. “But she had a fall just before lockdown and got whipped into care. “Her dementia accelerated beyond belief and loneliness and a broken heart took her from us too early. “We expected her to be here for years yet. Apart from Saturday,Satu I saw her once in nineninemonthsmonths. “Older people are justjus being left to die alone. I’m heartheartbroken and incredibly angry. “It has nothing to do with the care home itself – they were really good to NNana and it wasn’t their ffault, they were just ffollowing Government Govern guidelines.” guide Anne’s death comes as new figures show the number of people dying from dementia in the UK rose by half during lockdown.
Experts believe the increase could be connected to a lack of contact with loved ones.
Anne’s daughter Cindy Mackenzie and two grandchildren, Michelle and her brother Bruce, were allowed into the home to say their goodbyes, with relatives in the US joining by video link.
Michelle said: “Only one family member has been allowed to visit her these past few months, for 30 minutes, once a week.
“All visits were outside in the cold and it’s only been the past two weeks my mum has been allowed inside.
“Outside in the visiting tent, she was cold, even covered in blankets.”
Children’s author Michelle, whose pen name is Shelly Mack, was also able to read to her gran, who was her writing inspiration as a little girl.
She added: “She always encouraged me to be a writer. She was a brilliant storyteller. I wanted to be like her.”
Anne, a mother of three and a former cleaner, moved in with her daughter and son-in-law Colin when her husband James, 87, died of pneumonia last year.
Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at the Alzheimer’s Society, said banning care home visiting is “causing devastation to people living with dementia”.
She added: “We know that family carers keep people with dementia in care homes tethered to the world and it’s no exaggeration to say they are keeping them alive.”
Methodist Homes, which runs the care home, said: “We would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of Anne on their sad loss.
“We sympathise greatly with all the families whose visits have been limited over these past few months.” The Scottish Government said: “We are actively reviewing what more we can do to support visits in care homes, including plans for regular testing of designated visitors of residents. “The Health Secretary will set out further details in a statement to Parliament next
week.”