A FAMILY have slammed a care home after being told they “no longer have the legal right” to remove their mother from the facility.
Deborah Lloyd from Kingswinford, Dudley says her family have been banned from visiting her dementia-suffering mum June Colley since August, after the family clashed with staff over the remarks.
85-year-old June was placed in Woodford House by the NHS following a hospital stay, as part of a “step down” process to allow for her needs to be assessed.
Police were called to the care home last month after husband David, 89, became irate with staff over the situation, telling them: “If I had a gun I would shoot you.”
Deborah also says the couple were told off by care home staff after David gave his wife a cuddle during one visit.
The 56-year-old shared her story to a closed Facebook group on 7 Sep explaining that her father got social service in to help after June’s Dementia worsened.
She explained carers “persuaded” David to put June into a different care home for respite for a few weeks, before she was eventually transferred to her current residence.
Debborah wrote: “She is still there, my dad has been trying to get her back home ever since. We were visiting twice a week, she was in the garden and we talked over a four foot fence.
“On a visit, she recognised my dad and came over and they cuddled, it was a very touching moment, however, due to Covid, he had a little bit of a telling off and that was it.”
Following David’s outburst, she also claimed the entire family have since been banned from visits.
The family’s situation has caused an outpouring of sympathy.
One user wrote under Deborah’s post saying:“I am in Ireland and it seems to be different here.
“Your parents become state property and you no longer have rights unless you have this enduring power of attorney. You are not alone. Prayers for you.”
One said: “It is heartbreaking. You should not have to go through this.”
Speaking today Deborah said: “It’s been very traumatic for dad. He is her full time carer. He is 89 but quite active and fit.
“He feels like he has been tricked.
“She was supposed to be in the home to be tested so they could check the required level of care that was needed but they just kept her.
“We are not paying at the moment, the NHS is, and she is being assessed next Wednesday to see if she qualifies after numerous complaints.
“We haven’t signed any documents regarding her care.
“My dad hasn’t seen his wife since four weeks ago. They have been married for 65 years. He was banned after he said: ‘If I had a gun I would shoot you.’
“He didn’t mean it; he was just angry after being told he no longer had the right to take her home. It was very off the cuff.
“The police had to come in but they just told him: ‘You can’t say anything like that anymore’ and that was it’.”
A spokeswoman for Woodford House Care home said: “Due to our proximity to Wolverhampton, we are following the guidance there to only allow essential visits due to the current Covid-19 situation.
“While we understand that this is upsetting for families and people react to this in different ways, we have unfortunately had to make it clear on this one occasion that threatening and abusive behaviour is not acceptable.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to protect our residents from the risk of Covid-19 and our focus remains on providing a happy, safe and caring home to everyone who lives here.”
Family have since forwarded a recorded conversation to reporters between the home and June’s granddaughter.
In the audio, Woodford House confirm she will be unable to visit due to an “incident” with the husband and one of the daughters and not Covid-19.
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: “We attended an address and spoke to a man with regards to a threat allegedly made, but took no further action.”
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust could not comment as a complaint had not been made.
