Wishaw woman critical of care her dementia-suffering mum gets from North Lanarkshire Council

A Craigneuk woman has slammed the care being given to her dementia-suffering mother by social services — even claiming that urine-soaked pillows were left beside a radiator to dry last week.

Pauline McLeary lives with her 74-year-old mum Josie and her severely disabled partner John, who suffered a debilitating stroke several years ago that left him paralysed down one side. The disability means John, 55, is forced to spend most of his time in bed — with Pauline, 49, acting as his full-time carer.

She said: “I just don’t know how much more of this I can take. This carry on with the pillows was the final straw for me.

“When I saw them lying in the room, I was shocked. I picked them up and they were absolutely sodden. It was disgusting. I called the service to complain and I was asked: ‘What else should the carers do

with them?’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”

The couple ­– who lived in Southampton for almost 20 years – returned to Wishaw when Josie began to show signs of dementia.

To ease Pauline’s burden of caring for John while looking after her mum, carers visit their home four times a day to carry out a variety of duties, including washing and dressing Josie, who is doubly incontinent, and administering her medication.

However, Pauline claims the care her mum is getting is “unacceptable” and has listed a catalogue of complaints for the local authority that she insists have yet to be addressed.

Now the mum-of-two – who is on medication for stress – fears the dual strain of constantly caring for husband John and worrying about her deteriorating mother is placing a heavy toll on her emotions and means she could be heading for a nervous breakdown.

Adding to her ongoing frustrations, Pauline claims that social services are refusing her request of a week’s respite care for Josie.

She wants to arrange this to coincide with a similar service that she has provisionally arranged for John.

Pauline explained: “I’d use this time to get our bedroom decorated as it’s badly in need of sprucing up and poor John has to spend most of his time in there.

But I’m being denied what I think is a reasonable request and am not being offered satisfactory reasons for the refusdal.

“Last year my mum had a week’s respite that allowed me to decorate her bedroom. So, what’s the problem with doing it again? I just feel I’m being thwarted at every turn and no-one is listening to my complaints or point of view. I feel completely disheartened and frustrated.

“I don’t know where to go from here.”

Concerned partner John added: “I’m really worried about Pauline.

“I’ve seen a marked change in her in the last few weeks. If she goes downhill I don’t know what we’ll do.

“She’s the only thing that’s keeping us afloat just now.”

A council spokesman said: “While we can’t comment on individual cases, the health and wellbeing of people needing care is our upmost priority and we are committed to providing them with the appropriate levels of support they may need within available resources.”