Death probe at Burnley care home

RESIDENTS have been moved out of a Burnley care home after a police investigation was launched into the death of a 91-year-old woman.

Officers said the woman was taken ill at the Palatine Lodge care home and died in hosp-ital late on Monday.Yesterday the six remain-ing residents at the home in Palatine Square were moved ‘as a precaution’ to other homes across East Lancashire after families were contacted.

The home is now temporarily closed.

It is understood that the police investigation began after social services contacted them to look into the care that the pensioner had received. No arrests have been made.

A police spokesman said: “Police were asked by Lancashire County Council to attend a care home in Burnley on Sunday.

“It followed the admittance of a 91-year-old woman to the Royal Blackburn Hospital earlier that day. Sadly, the woman passed away on Monday night.

“A joint police and social services investigation has been launched.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “Palatine Lodge is a privately owned and managed facility, which was visited by county council staff over the weekend for an assessment of the quality and safety of care being provided. Council officers subsequently requested assistance from Lancashire Constabulary.

“Our primary concern is the wellbeing of the residents and on Tuesday we took the precaution of moving all six people who need ongoing support into other accommodation.

“We will now be working closely with the police and other agencies to conduct a detailed investigation.

“Meanwhile our thoughts are with those affected by the sad news of this lady’s death.”

A post mortem has yet to take place to find a cause of death and the woman has not been named.

On its website Palatine Lodge is described as a privately owned and managed care home, for residents with learning disabilities, dementia, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders. It can house 15 residents.

The website said Palatine Lodge has sister homes at Edgar Street Residential Care Home in Huncoat and one in Lytham.

Yesterday relatives were called to Palatine Lodge by Lancashire County Council who advised them on where their loved ones would be moved to.

The remaining residents were moved out of the care home by Lancashire County Council Travelcare buses yesterday afternoon.

A man who asked not to be named said: “My girlfriend’s great-grandmother has been cared for at the home because she has dementia.

“We got a call from social services at 1.20am saying that they would need us to come down this morning because they were going to move her to another home in Clitheroe.

“They wouldn’t tell us what had happened but said that another person from the home had been in hospital.

“We have all been very worried about it.

“We have been speaking to Lancashire County Council this morning because we want her to be moved to another facility in the Burnley area rather than Clitheroe.”

Yesterday when approached at Palatine Lodge a woman, who said she was one of the owners, refused to comment.