North Lincolnshire 2
EW had a housing association tenancy in Manchester with myself (her daughter) for many years.
In 2020 she was staying with her estranged husband in North Lincolnshire area whilst I was in hospital. Whilst staying with her estranged husband, she fell and broke her hip in July 2020. She was admitted to Scunthorpe Hospital and then placed in a care home.
I did not and still do not want my mother in Care. I want her back home with me in our property in Manchester and continue to fight to get her out of care and back home.
The care home does not cater for learning disability or sensory loss so provides the same health access I can provide for my mother at home. My mother has learning disability, dementia, sensory loss (deaf), physically disabled (prior to be breaking her hip she was a part time wheelchair user but now is a full time wheelchair user). Her estranged husband died in Oct 2020. There are no family members in the North Lincolnshire area and it is a 200 mile round trip to visit, which has been hampered since 2020 with various Covid lockdowns regulations for Care Homes. Therefore I am reliant on being in touch with her via Whatsapp
When my mother was first placed into the Care Home by North Lincolnshire Adult Social Care, the Social Worker did not:-
undertake any background checks ie if there was a POA in place, if she resided elsewhere?. For example she has an address in Manchester - didn’t know she lived with me under normal circumstances.
Did not do an assessment
Did not verify my mother's diagnosis before placing her in the Care Home 4) Had not undertaken a MCA until Oct 2020
Replied on the information of someone who has a safeguarding concern raised against her by to Manchester Council 2013
Did not check with Manchester Council if said person has a safeguarding concern against her or if my mother was known to them
Did not gather any medical information from GP in Manchester – She was only registered on a temp basis at the GP in the area my late father lived
Did not do an assessment of her home circumstances
Did not take into about or have any knowledge around her sensory loss and learning disability and completed without the people who knew her best and could communicate her needs instead it was done by the manager of the home and an IMCA in North Lincolnshire – all of which had either met my mother once or twice or in the case of the Home Manager at the home – only known her for 4 weeks.
12 October 2020 – Social Worker stated she will be undertaking a Best Interest meeting. This did not take place until June 2021
A DOLS is in place, this should be least restrictive. She is a wheelchair user and so can’t leave the building on her own. When I have asked if I can walk her around the block in her wheelchair, this has been denied. Mum has not been outside since Sept 2020
Mum has very little hearing even with hearing aid and needs to be able to lip read. She also has a learning disability and therefore needs to be communicated with using pictures or Makaton
However, care workers in her care home will not wear transparent face masks and communicate with her through cloth face masks. Therefore she is unable to lip read.
Staff at her care home do not communicate with her using pictures or Makaton
My Mum will see carers coming towards her and she puts her arms up in self defence as she is scared. The care home class this as aggressive, non compliant and leave her in her room in isolation for long periods of time
To date my mother has sustained in excess of 17 falls and a section 42 has not been raised by the Care Home on any of the falls to my knowledge
Oct 2022 Unexplained fall – banged head – admitted to hospital. I was not informed. Was a section 42 raised. In care homes you have 2 hourly checks hourly checks half hourly checks for someone that's just had a fall or doesn't feel well etc and then 15 min checks for someone severely poorly such as end of life. Mum is high falls risk and this does not take place in her care home
Not aware hourly checks were performed or that she had a sensory mat in place or something that would alert the staff she was stood. If she had none of these things in place then a safeguarding needs to be raised. When I asked the Care home if is a section 42 had been raised, I was asked ‘what is one of them’
3 Nov 2021 – admitted to Scunthorpe hospital with infection. I was not informed. Mum was hospital until 11 Nov 2021 and then placed in isolation. The Care Home did not send her in with her glasses or dentures. She has a learning disability and no hearing – therefore important she has vision. I have also sent in her spare pairs and the Care Home have lost these too.
To date my mother has sustained in excess of 17 falls and a section 42 has not been raised by the Care Home on any of the falls to my knowledge
She has had no Dentures since August 2021 and is not on a soft food diet – How is she meant to chew!. I raised this issue in August 2021-still an issue as at March 2022
The Care Home leave Mum in her own urine and faeces and so she has reoccurring urine infections.
I have heard staff being verbally abusive to Mum
ISOLATION – Mum has Been placed in isolation in excess of 8 times, each time for 2 weeks.
Oct 2020 -. My mother was not allowed to the cremation part of her estranged husband’s funeral – Social Worker stated it was ‘EW’s wishes’ – however the Team Manager informed me it was about staffing levels at the care home.
I have raised numerous complaints and safeguarding with the Adult protection team@ Northlincs and the CQC
As of 12 March 2022, the Care Home have banned me from having Whatsapp calls with my mother, due to alleged rudeness to staff.
I am unable to visit as the Care Home is in lockdown and the ban on being being able to whatsapp her is not about unfounded allegations of rudeness to staff, is because I have made several complaints
I have not visited Mum since Sept 2021 due to the home being in constant lockdown. When I last enquired about visiting (w/c 7 March), I was informed the Care Home is still in lockdown.
When I do visit I am only allowed 2 hrs. I live over 200 miles away. I have asked and been denied extended time.
Deprivation or restriction of contact with important people (I was my mother’s main carer for 30 years and we lived into in our home in Manchester) is psychological abuse under MCA Code of Practice and most local authorities safeguarding practices
The Care Home can’t stop me from having seeing or having contact with Mum just because they have got the hump about me complaining or unfounded allegations of rudeness – This is completely illegal.
Safeguarding have been raised on:-
Safeguarding – Family contact not facilitated to a satisfactory level – Emotional and mental abuse and breach of Human Right Act Article 8 and MCA
Safeguarding – In excess of 17 falls. No section 42 raised to my knowledge
Safeguarding – Left in own urine and faeces
Safeguarding – Items missing – clothing, glasses, hearing aids, dentures
Safeguarding – Left without dentures for in excess of 6 months
Safeguarding – Extended periods left in isolation
Safeguarding – the home does not have any specialist knowledge of her learning disability or takes into account of her hearing loss EW has very little hearing and needs to be able to lip read. However, non – see through masks have been worn by care workers throughout her time in the home despite being informed of this over and over again. This has led to her deterioration
Safeguarding – DOLS – should be least restrictive. She is a wheelchair user and so can’t leave the building on her own. However, she has not been allowed outside since Sept 2020. When I have asked if I can walk her around the block in her wheelchair, this has been denied.
Safeguarding - As at 17 March 2022 I have been banned from having whatsapp contact with her due to my unfounded alleged rudeness to staff. I have not visited Mum since Sept 2021 due to the home being in constant lockdown. When I last enquired about visiting (w/c 7 March), I was informed the home is still in lockdown. When I do visit I am only allowed 2 hrs. I live over 200 miles away. I have asked and been denied extended time. Deprivation or restriction of contact with important people (I was my mother’s main carer for 30 years and we lived into in our home in Manchester) is psychological abuse under MCA Code of Practice and most local authorities safeguarding practices
Safeguarding – Verbally abusive language used towards mother by care worker(s)
All have been ‘investigated’ and found no ‘evidence’ of wrongdoing