Family's Distress: Alleged Neglect Towards Grandmother in NI Hospital Sparks Outrage

The family of an elderlyColerainewoman with Alzheimer’s have raised concerns about the care she received at an NI hospital.

Neglect Allegations
They say she was frequently left unattended with them finding her on a bed that was "soaked through" with urine,covered in spilt soup and they also found controlled medication scattered around a table that she had not taken.

Incident Details
The woman was recently admitted to theCauseway Hospitalafter developing an infection with her family becoming concerned with the quality of care she was receiving after a couple of days when they came for a visit and found she had removed a cannula and put it into a water bottle without the staff being aware.

Family Statements
On another visit her grandchildren said they found her "soaked through" with urine to the point where her incontinence pad burst when they tried to clean her. They also said there were dried urine stains on the bed which showed she had been left like this for some time. Following this, her family then found her covered in soup, which they believed that she had spilled on herself shortly after receiving it. The soup was cold when the family arrived and they were very worried the woman could have suffered a serious burn.

Hospital Response
After each of these incidents, the family complained to staff at the hospital and claimed that on one occasion they were threatened with the police being called as they demanded better care for their grandmother. A spokesperson for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust expressed regret and stated their commitment to providing better care and upholding patient dignity.

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