Police probing ‘mistreatment’ at care homes
A CARE home is being investigated by police amid allegations of mistreatment.
The facility is already facing legal action from the grieving relatives of residents who died of suspected coronavirus.
Officers from Police Scotland have now launched a probe into ‘concerns’ over the care of residents at the Almond Court home in Glasgow.
Neighbouring home Almond View, which is owned and run by the same company, The Holmes Group, is also under investigation. Police have confirmed that they are looking into reports of ‘potential mistreatment’ and ‘concerns over the general care of residents’.
We revealed last month that two families plan to sue Almond Court, in Drumchapel, Glasgow, after relatives died of suspected coronavirus in April.
The death certificates of Helen Smith, 74, and 84-year-old Helen McMillan both cite the cause as ‘presumed Covid’.
If the action is successful, it could open the floodgates for hundreds of other legal claims.
However, the new police probe is separate from the ongoing legal action and investigates allegations of criminality.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We are working with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership and the Care Inspectorate following reports of potential mistreatment and concerns over the general care of residents at Almond Court and Almond View care homes.
‘Our inquiries are ongoing. It would be inappropriate to comment further.’
In relation to the deaths of Mrs
Smith and Mrs McMillan, both families allege that the home failed to carry out proper testing of its residents and staff and that workers did not have proper protective equipment.
Mrs McMillan’s daughter also claims that a resident with Covid symptoms returned to the home from hospital and mingled with other pensioners. Jackie
‘I want someone to be held accountable’
Marlow, 54, alleges her mother was not given crucial end-of-life care at Almond Court – care that could have made her more comfortable in her final hours.
The mother of two said: ‘There are so many questions that need to be answered and somebody has to be held accountable.’
Mrs Smith’s son, George Hillhouse, watched his mother die. He believes staff failed to give her medication that could have helped relieve her ‘unbearable pain’. Mr Hillhouse, 52, said: ‘They left my mum to suffer.
‘I want someone to be held accountable for her death, and to say, “We messed up here”.
‘It is not about money, I want action taken against those who neglected my mum.’
The latest probe comes after The Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed that the deaths of three residents at Home Farm care home in Portree, Skye, are also being investigated by police. Thirty of the home’s 34 residents and 29 staff contracted Covid19 and ten residents died.
A spokesman for Holmes Care said: ‘We are in regular communication with the Care Inspectorate and local Health and Social Care Partnership, and have not been made aware of any ongoing investigation into either Almond Court or Almond View. We will always engage constructively and transparently with any enquiries that are made, including from Police Scotland.’