The family of a demented great-grandmother wants answers after an unexplained incident at a nursing home in which she suffered serious facial injuries.
Agnes Donnelly, 89, better known as Nancy, died just months after an incident left her face battered and bruised at Broomfield Court Care Home in Glasgow, which costs £1,400 a week.
The home closed five months after her death from pneumonia in January last year, leaving Nancy’s grieving family searching for answers about what happened.
But Nancy’s son Colin, 65, insists Nancy was neglected, claiming the home “didn’t take care of her like they should have.”
He said: ‘We are still very angry about the terrible conditions our mother must have lived in for the last year of her life. The house didn’t care about her like they should have. When we visited, we could tell she wasn’t clean and she looked like she wasn’t being taken care of.”
Nancy, 89, had unexplained bruises on her face while in a care home in Glasgow
The horrific injuries were first discovered by Nancy’s daughter, Glynn, 69, during a weekly visit in October 2021.
Nancy, who suffered from dementia, was said to be regularly checked by staff, but no employee had reported seeing the bruises prior to Glynn’s visit.
Colin added: ‘When my sister came to visit and found her with those facial injuries, it was a big shock. But the care home manager told us they didn’t know what happened to her because nothing had been reported.’
The 10-year-old grandmother was sent to hospital for a medical assessment, where the family claimed doctors found it several other bruises on her frail body before blood tests confirmed she was also dehydrated.
Since the incident, Larchwood Care has conducted an evaluation of Nancy’s care, but later concluded that the investigation only showed “breakdowns in communication.”
The Care Inspectorate, together with social workers, also started a joint investigation into the incident.
But the house closed in June 2022 and Larchwood Care stated it was ‘not financially viable’ to keep it open.
Colin claims his family was never informed of the outcome of the investigation and was left completely in the dark about what happened to their mother.
Nancy, who stayed at Broomfield Court Care Home, died of pneumonia in 2022
Her son Colin (pictured left), 65, insists Nancy was neglected at home and says her loved ones are haunted by what she may have suffered
Broomfield Court Care Home closed as it was not financially viable to keep it open
Colin added: ‘It’s constantly on my mind that we never got the answers we need and no one was ever held accountable for what happened to our mother.
“Someone in her condition should have been cared for. The staff were paid to take care of her. But the conditions she was left in were terrible.
“Our mother was a sweet, caring, charitable person and it’s very hard to know she suffered the way she did.”
A number of Google reviews of Broomfield Court Care Home show that relatives of residents are slamming the house for ‘terrible neglect’.
A spokesperson for Larchwood Care said: ‘We understand the concerns of Ms Donnelly’s family and acknowledge their deep sorrow at the loss of a beloved family member.
“Our investigation into these matters revealed shortcomings in communication and we apologize for the impact this had on the Donnelly family. We have reviewed our policy and made the necessary changes.
In 2021, the case was referred to the Care Inspectorate and the Adult Support and Protection team. The home, which is now closed, cooperated fully with the outside agencies investigating the issues raised.”
A spokesperson for the Healthcare Inspectorate: ‘We are aware of a concern that has been expressed about the quality of the care that a person experiences at this healthcare institution, which has since canceled its registration with the Healthcare Inspectorate. The concern was investigated by the relevant local authority under adult support and protection procedures.”
MailOnline has also approached Glasgow City Council for comment.
