Home care of gran, 91, is shameful, says family
THE family of a 91-year-old deaf and blind woman has made a complaint about the level of care she has received.
They claim it has “put her life at risk”.
Her granddaughter said the woman was left for more than five hours after pressing her home response alarm before a district nurse attended.
On other occasions, she has been told no-one was available to attend in her area.
She has a colostomy bag and her family say she has been left overnight and the bag has burst several times – but they have been told carers are not trained to change the bag.
The Scottish Government was contacted, but they said it was a matter for the council, who provide social care services.
A FAMILY has called for an investigation into the care of a 91-year-old grandmother which they describe as “shameful”.
The woman who is deaf and blind has a colostomy bag and needs help to change it.
However she has been told that carers working for North Lanarkshire Council are not trained to change bags and her family said she has been left overnight with the bag burst on several occasions.
Previously, care was provided by East Dunbartonshire Council whose carers could change the bag.
The family, who do not wish to name the grandmother, have raised a complaint with the council and contacted the First Minister and local MSP Fulton McGregor with their concerns about the poor level of care.
However the response from the Scottish Government stated it was a matter for the council.
A letter from a senior policy officer from the Children and Families Directorate, stated: “I am sorry to hear of your concerns.
“However I must advise you that it is not appropriate for Scottish Ministers to intervene in individual cases.”
The woman’s family has also contacted local councillor John McLaren and MP Hugh Gaffney asking for assistance.
The family listed a catalogue of events that has led to the grandmother being taken into hospital on repeated occasions and a strain put on the health of the woman’s daughter and son-in-law, who is recovering from a heart attack.
After care was transferred from East Dunbartonshire to North La- narkshire. It was one visit a day from a district nurse at 11am to change the bag.
When she needed to press her home response alarm to report an overflowing bag, which the family say she was told to, she was informed no-one was available to help and her daughter was contacted at 7am.
On one occasion, she said she pressed it at 4.40pm but it was 10pm before a district nurse arrived.
Her granddaughter said the woman’s care needs have been assessed as four home visits a day and carers to manage the stoma bag during the day and at night.
The family state the grandmother has suffered several falls and had repeated episodes of being left overnight soaked in urine and faeces for hours.
Her granddaughter said she was discharged from hospital in October with insufficient care and five days later had to be readmitted after a fall early in the morning trying to get out of bed.
She said: “As we predicted, Granny’s rushed unsupported discharge has been a total failure which seriously put her life at risk.”
Mr McGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston contacted Health Secretary Shona Robison about the case. Ms Robison said it would be inappropriate to comment while an investigation was ongoing.
Janice Hewitt, Chief Accountable Officer for Health and Social Care Integration in North Lanarkshire said: “I can confirm an enquiry has been received in relation to this case. We will investigate the concerns thoroughly, however it would be inappropriate to comment while this is being reviewed.”