Covid victim’s family’s anger at missing belongings
DIRTY CLOTHES AND FALSE TEETH BELONGING TO SOMEONE ELSE AMONG ITEMS RETURNED FROM CARE HOME FOLLOWING RAYMOND NICKSON’S DEATH
THE family of a 90-year-old man who died in hospital after contracting Covid-19 at a care home say they had to wait eight weeks for his belongings to be returned - only to find things ‘missing’... and false teeth and dirty clothes belonging to someone else in the bag.
Raymond Nickson, from Timperley, Trafford, was a resident at Swallowfield Gardens Care Home in Bolton shortly before he passed away.
He had dementia and a number of mental health issues.
Mr Nickson - a massive Manchester United fan and a keen gardener - contracted coronavirus at the home before passing away at Bolton Royal Hospital on October 5.
Daughter-in-law Iris Nickson says following Mr Nickson’s death, his loved ones had to wait eight weeks for belongings to be returned.
When they were returned Ms Nickson says some of the clothes belonged to someone else and appeared ‘unlaundered and smelly’.
She claims another person’s false teeth were also in the bag. Swallowfield Care Home bosses said restrictions on care homes during the pandemic have been ‘extremely difficult’ and have made the return of belongings challenging - as families are unable to go and ‘sort and collect’ items themselves. Ms Nickson, 50, told the Manchester Evening News : “I had to contact the coroners’ office to get them to arrange for his things to be sent. “They finally sent his belongings and many items were missing. We were also sent another man’s clothes and teeth. “It’s shocking. He was such a kind and gentle soul and a lovely man.” The family were unhappy Mr Nickson was moved to a home in Bolton from one in his home borough of Trafford. Mr Nickson, a retired engineer and ‘amazing golfer,’ was cared for by the Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation (GMMH) after he was left heartbroken after the death of his wife Connie in 2005. His mental health began to deteriorate, Ms Nickson said, and he became a ‘shell of his former self’. Mr Nickson then moved to a facility in Urmston, before moving to Heathside Care Home in Altrincham.
After being diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier this year, Mr Nickson was temporarily moved to GMMH’s Moorside Unit in Trafford, before being transferred to Swallowfield Care Home on August 18 - just after Bolton went into local lockdown.
That decision, the trust says, was the most ‘clinically appropriate one’ due to the number of available beds.
On September 27, Mr Nickson tested positive for Covid-19. He was taken to hospital before sadly passing away on October 5.
“He had been looking forward to his birthday party this year, but that couldn’t happen,” Ms Nickson said.
She said the family raised concerns about Mr Nickson being cared for 25 miles away from his loved ones.
“My husband doesn’t drive so it was a six hour round trip on public transport to visit him through the window, or we had to get a taxi which we then expensed to the council,” she added.
Ms Nickson claimed Trafford council told her keeping her fatherin-law in Trafford would be incredibly costly.
Andrew Maloney, deputy chief executive at GMMH said: “We offer our deepest condolences to Mr Nickson’s family. We have been in contact with Mr Nickson’s family over many months to explain the reasons as to why Mr Nickson needed to move from our Moorside Unit in Trafford.
“The decision was the most clinically appropriate one, and in line with all our practises.
“Unfortunately, specialist mental health care is not always available near to the service user’s home, which is why in some circumstances, placements are made further afield.”
A spokesman for Swallowfield Care Home said: “During the outbreak, only two service users contracted Covid-19 and it has remained that way since the outbreak.
“We thank everyone for understanding the restrictions this puts on the care centres, in relation to the return of personal belongings, now families are not able to come.”
A spokesperson for Trafford council said the town hall ‘is aware of the situation and is working to address the concerns of the family’.
It’s shocking. He was such a kind and gentle soul and a lovely man Raymond Nickson’s daughter-in-law Iris Nickson