A grieving family has been left searching for answers after a grandmother suffered serious facial injuries at her care home before she died.
Agnes Donnelly, known better as Nancy, passed away just months after the incident which left the 89-year-old with a battered and bruised face at Broomfield Court Care Home in Glasgow.
In October 2021, Nancy’s daughter Glynn, 69, was horrified when she went for her weekly routine visit to discover her mum’s face severely damaged by injuries. The care home had not reported any incidents or alerted the family.
Nancy died from pneumonia in January 2022. The home closed down five months later, with her family never having received an explanation for what happened to her face.
Her son Colin, 65, insists that Nancy was neglected at the home and says her loved ones have been left haunted by what she may have suffered.
Speaking to the Record, Colin said: “We are still very angry about the awful conditions our mum must have lived in during the last year of her life.
“The home didn’t care for her the way they should have done. When we visited, we could see she wasn’t clean and she looked like she wasn’t being looked after.
“When my sister visited and found her with those injuries on her face it was a big shock. But the care home manager told us they didn’t know what had happened to her because nothing was reported.”
Nancy, who had dementia, was supposed to be checked on regularly by staff, but no staff member had reported seeing the bruises prior to Glynn’s visit.
The grandmother-of-ten was sent to hospital for medical assessment and the family claim doctors found a number of other bruises on her frail body before blood tests confirmed she was also dehydrated.
Larchwood Care, who ran the £1,400 a week home, carried out a review of Nancy’s care but later concluded that their investigation only showed “failings with communication”.
The care inspectorate, alongside social workers, also launched a joint investigation into the incident.
However, the home closed down in June 2022 with Larchwood Care stating it was “not financially viable” to keep it open.
Colin claims his family were never told the outcome of the investigation and have been left completely in the dark about what happened to their mum.
Colin added: “It constantly plays on my mind that we never got the answers we need and no one was ever held accountable for what happened to our mum.
“Someone in her condition should have been looked after. The staff were paid to look after her. But the conditions she was left living in were dreadful.
“Our mum was a lovely, caring, charitable person and to know she suffered the way she did is really difficult.”
A number of Google reviews of Broomfield Court Care Home seen by the Record show family members of residents slamming the home for “awful neglect”.
In April 2022, we reported that staff at the home were left “devastated” after they were sacked over a Zoom call.
A spokesperson for Larchwood Care said: “We understand Mrs Donnelly’s family’s concerns and acknowledge their considerable distress following the loss of a much-loved family member.
“Our investigation into these matters identified failings with communication and we apologise for the impact this had on the Donnelly family. We have reviewed our policies and made the necessary changes.
“In 2021 the matter was referred to the Care Inspectorate and the Adult Support and Protection team. The home, which is now closed, fully co-operated with the outside agencies looking into the issues raised.”
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate added: “We are aware of a concern raised about the quality of care experienced by an individual at this care service, which has since cancelled its registration with the Care Inspectorate. The concern was investigated by the relevant local authority under Adult Support and Protection procedures.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) were aware of the concerns raised in respect of the home. Investigations were undertaken in line with Adult Support and Protection procedures and increased contact was initiated with the home due to the concerns raised.
“When the provider announced the closure of the home, HSCP staff worked with Care Inspectorate colleagues to support residents, family and the care home to ensure this was done safely.”