Disabled woman ‘left to die’

[Chelle-82 10]

Is there any suggestion of poor mental health?

 

---------- Post added 20-02-2018 at 14:06 ----------

 

 

But what if it turns out that she was in charge of all of her faculties and had demanded to exercise her rights to not go to any of these places?

 

Was she alone in her final days? She seems to have been visited by at least one friend, was she abusive to him?

 

I'll repeat what I said earlier. She shouldn't have died in this manner, but I don't think we are getting all of the facts from this Metro article which is clearly designed to simply induce outrage. Maybe wait for an actual investigation?

 

From what i read was, she was alone for five days before she died.

[gamezone07 23]

Sheffield Care Matters hosted a meeting about the crisis in Social Care where a letter was read out(provided by a SF member) which described an 80 year old lady living in her own filth through lack of support, not involved, but I don't think it was resolved/acted upon.

 

---------- Post added 20-02-2018 at 15:31 ----------

 

an old mate in sheff died of swine flu a fair few years ago, as he had mental health issues and could get abusive so didnt have a permenent GP

 

hard to believe it was that long ago, had major difficulties with him though.

[Itrytoplease 10]

Her care was axed by the council on the 10th of December, she died on the 21st. It was (as I read it) the council that STOPPED her care. There are many reasons for someone to be rude to another, dementia, Pain, embarrassment, frustration to name just a few.

[pattricia 580]

Her care was axed by the council on the 10th of December, she died on the 21st. It was (as I read it) the council that STOPPED her care. There are many reasons for someone to be rude to another, dementia, Pain, embarrassment, frustration to name just a few.

 

Well said.

[melthebell 864]

Is there any suggestion of poor mental health?

Being abusive can be a symptom of having poor mental health, just cutting off all contact is NOT an answer.

[mickey finn 12]

Is there any suggestion of poor mental health?

 

---------- Post added 20-02-2018 at 14:06 ----------

 

 

But what if it turns out that she was in charge of all of her faculties and had demanded to exercise her rights to not go to any of these places?

 

Was she alone in her final days? She seems to have been visited by at least one friend, was she abusive to him?

 

I'll repeat what I said earlier. She shouldn't have died in this manner, but I don't think we are getting all of the facts from this Metro article which is clearly designed to simply induce outrage. Maybe wait for an actual investigation?

 

Aye she will have been in tip top mental health, you know, dying and all that

[Bob Arctor 11]

The article does read slightly differently and suggests that 18 care agencies had banned or barred her for being abusive to staff. Of course nobody should die for want of medical care in this country but I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye.

 

Regardless of the circumstances, the local authority had a statutory duty to provide care. There is no get-out clause, the duty remains whatever the circumstances. I've worked with people with a wide range of needs all my life and had to deal with all sorts of stuff. There was one guy whose necrotic leg ulcer needed dressing everyday, and which was done to an accompanying volley of vile verbal abuse. I didn't refuse to do it, I just had to think about what had brought him to that point in his life and be grateful those things hadn't happened to me, whilst reminding him that he shouldn't swear at people and that I was helping him. There is no excuse for leaving people to die.

[pattricia 580]

Regardless of the circumstances, the local authority had a statutory duty to provide care. There is no get-out clause, the duty remains whatever the circumstances. I've worked with people with a wide range of needs all my life and had to deal with all sorts of stuff. There was one guy whose necrotic leg ulcer needed dressing everyday, and which was done to an accompanying volley of vile verbal abuse. I didn't refuse to do it, I just had to think about what had brought him to that point in his life and be grateful those things hadn't happened to me, whilst reminding him that he shouldn't swear at people and that I was helping him. There is no excuse for leaving people to die.

 

I agree. When I was nursing I saw nurses physically attacked by old people with dementia. One even had her jaw broken but when a person is mentally ill there’s nothing you can do about it.

[Ms Macbeth 76]

Trying to keep people in their homes, which aren't always suitable, with a variety of carers seems to be the preferred option nowadays. It must be cheaper, but in cases where there is no family support, and a person is obviously not coping, surely a care facility, or in some cases a hospice would be better. It's appalling that she was left with no support, regardless of her mental state.

 

My mum had several strokes, we lived hundreds of miles away, and although it's a horrible choice to make I at least knew she was fed and warm, rather than isolated and without help. As she became frailer physically and mentally, she moved to a nursing home where she was well cared for and I was there when she died peacefully.

[Fogey 10]

Being abusive can be a symptom of having poor mental health, just cutting off all contact is NOT an answer.

 

You're saying she may have mental health problems, but, you don't know that do you?

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2018 at 17:14 ----------

 

From what i read was, she was alone for five days before she died.

 

I can't see where it says she was alone for 5 days before she died. You're filling in the blanks without knowing the facts. Why don't you wait for the outcome of the investigation rather than jumping to conclusions based on very little information?

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2018 at 17:17 ----------

 

Aye she will have been in tip top mental health, you know, dying and all that

 

But again, you don't actually know, do you? well do you? You're just assuming on the basis of very little information, jumping to a half formed conclusion.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2018 at 17:20 ----------

 

Regardless of the circumstances, the local authority had a statutory duty to provide care. There is no get-out clause, the duty remains whatever the circumstances. I've worked with people with a wide range of needs all my life and had to deal with all sorts of stuff. There was one guy whose necrotic leg ulcer needed dressing everyday, and which was done to an accompanying volley of vile verbal abuse. I didn't refuse to do it, I just had to think about what had brought him to that point in his life and be grateful those things hadn't happened to me, whilst reminding him that he shouldn't swear at people and that I was helping him. There is no excuse for leaving people to die.

 

That is very noble of you and you should be applauded for your commitment. But, you have absolutely no right to tell other people they should put up with abuse because it suits you that they should. If you choose to do so then it is your choice.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2018 at 17:24 ----------

 

I agree. When I was nursing I saw nurses physically attacked by old people with dementia. One even had her jaw broken but when a person is mentally ill there’s nothing you can do about it.

 

Again, it doesn't say there was any mention of any kind of mental health issue at all. I could be missing it, if it's there please correct me.

 

Why are so many of you jumping to conclusions regarding key pieces of information which are missing?

 

if you don't know the circumstances why are you so quick to judge or jump to a conclusion?

[Anna B 1,417]

Sadly, she isn't the first, and certainly won't be the last by a long way.

 

We seem to have lost the capacity to care in this country. We see people such as these who are in desperate need as nothing more than an expensive nuisance. Yet any one of us could end up in her predicament.

 

Private nursing homes are not obliged to take them, and Council run ones are becoming rarer than hens teeth, hospitals are full, so where does that leave us? There is nothing to plug the gap. Even the Victorians had the workhouse.

 

I find it hard to believe sometimes how, in the 21st Century, our standards have fallen so low. We need decent care facilities run by decent caring people, for those who have no one.

[Bob Arctor 11]

 

That is very noble of you and you should be applauded for your commitment. But, you have absolutely no right to tell other people they should put up with abuse because it suits you that they should. If you choose to do so then it is your choice.

 

 

It's not very noble, it's based on simple compassion and understanding, something you would think people working in social care might have. I grew up when people had thicker skins and didn't have this mania for judging people. I am also entitled to point out that councils have a statutory duty that can't be avoided, whether anyone else wants to hear that or not.