Grandaughter who says her great-grandmother was 'neglected and left in pain' at care home calls for change to sector

Sonia Dixon, a grandaughter whose great-grandmother (Doreen Tilly, 101) was staying at Woodside Court care home in Glenrothes, Fife, claims Doreen, who suffered from bowel issues, was left in pain overnight by care home staff. Doreen left the care home in February 2021 and died at home 3 months later.

The complaint Sonia made against Doreen's care facility was sustained; the report found that the woman's requirements were "not being sufficiently monitored," which "impacted negatively on her safety and wellbeing." Sonia is a former care worker herself.

It comes as recent statistics reveal that complaints against care facilities in Scotland have nearly doubled in the past ten years, and these facilities are dealing with a growing staffing issue.

Sonia commented:  “She had chronic constipation and hadn’t been for a bowel movement for two weeks when we had brought her home. She was in more pain as each day went by and shouting all through the night.

“It wasn’t until we got my nan out that we knew exactly what happened during Covid. The care home never told us. If they gave us the full story, we could have been better prepared.

“We’re angry, disappointed, and let down. No one apologised or acknowledged it.

“Now we’ve just got to move on, knowing she was neglected and in pain."

“The system needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom, training, the ratio of staff to residents.”

Sonia complained about Doreen's care to the Care Inspectorate with her worries.

These were affirmed following a thorough inquiry. This a rare occurrence considering that just 12% of complaints made to the independent monitoring body are typically upheld.

They discovered there was inadequate proof that personnel were keeping an eye on Doreen's medical requirements. Poor fluid monitoring resulted in one instance where only 370 millilitres of fluid were given for the entire day.