Carer due to be sentenced over neglect tragedy

A CARER will be sentenced today after an 84-year-old woman with dementia nearly drowned in her care. The pensioner suffered brain damage when she became submerged in a bath at a Goole care home and she now only recognises one of her daughters.
Hull Crown Court heard that the woman, then 82, had been at Windsor Court care home for eight years and following a stroke in 2011 had reduced levels of movement and speech, could not cut up her own food and was incontinent.

The court heard that she was lowered into a bath, and while unattended slipped under the water for some time. When she was found, she was blue and needed weeks of care at two hospitals.

The court was told that the family felt “deeply betrayed” that carer Natalie Gillan did not own up to what she had done when they rushed to her bedside, fearing she was dying, allowing the carer to remain with them “at that truly poignant moment”.

Prosecutor Philip Evans said in a doctor’s opinion the woman had lost her powers of comprehension as a result of brain damage and her quality of life had significantly deteriorated.

“She is able to utter the odd monosyllable, there is no speech or apparent understanding. She can no longer be bathed,” he said.

Her daughters were “also victims as she is unable to communicate for herself” and family members had suffered from nightmares and panic attacks. There had also been financial implications as they had to find £395 a month to pay in top up fees for their mother’s care in a new nursing home.

The court heard that Gillan, 30, used a lap strap to fasten the woman into a chair which was lowered into a bath on November 9 last year.

But despite regulations that patients must be continually supervised, Gillan left the bathroom to get a flannel, clothing and towels, which Mr Evans described as an “act of neglect”.

She was diverted first by answering another resident’s call bell, then by getting beakers to give out drugs in, and then bumped into a colleague and got into a conversation in which they complained about the hours they had to work.

She was further distracted by helping a colleague look for incontinence pads when the faint sound of an emergency buzzer was heard coming from downstairs.

“The defendant said: “God I hope that’s not X,” Mr Evans said.

It turned out that another carer had gone into the bathroom and found the woman submerged. Another colleague managed to raise her up at which point Gillan returned.

The prosecutor went on: “She was limp and blue, vomiting bath water.”

Gillan phoned the emergency services and administered first aid.

Mr Evan said: “She estimated her conversation lasted for 15 minutes…It follows that (the victim) was left alone for upwards of 15 minutes.

“The defendant herself when asked how long she had been under the water replied two to 20 minutes.”

He said the woman’s daughters “were at her bedside while she made horrible gurgling noises as she struggled to breathe. They stealed themselves for their mother’s death for the next four days.

“Fortunately she responded to treatment and over the next 10 days became more alert.”

The court heard that eggs and rotten vegetables had been thrown at Gillan’s home and she had to move, following publicity about her earlier court appearances.

She has three other convictions, including obtaining benefit by deception for which she was conditionally discharged five years ago.

One the day of the accident she had done a 12-hour shift, but had agreed to work longer after another member of staff failed to turn up.

Geoff Ellis, defending, said Gillan felt genuine remorse for what happened and was ashamed of what she had done.

“She has been targeted by members of the local community. Her address was published on the last occasion when she came to court and as a result her house was attacked and she has had to move address”, he said. She had become housebound and afraid to go out for fear of reprisals.